The manner of love
by Vanished-2
Summary: Briseis is stolen from her royal but hated husband by Achilles. Briseis suffers in the Greek's tent for a while but how long will it be before the pair fall in love despite all difficulties? includes tecmessaajaxREVIEW PLS! BriseisAchillesR rated for cert
1. Lyrnessus

**Hello. This chapter was just a default, so the story gets much better. If you don't like the first chapter try to read on anyway. Thank you. xxxxxx**

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Briseis laid on her bed. It was beautiful, with its royal red covers and the glorious four posts. The only problem was that it wasn't alone Briseis' bed. It also belonged to Mynes, king of Lyrnessus. Briseis was his chosen Queen. She detested the man, despite his power and wealth. Her heart was captured with he cousin Eudaner who was three years her senior. She had never told him of her hopeless love and he never guessed and so Briseis remained a female prize to her detested husband, Mynes.

But an evening, not long ago the King and his companions were slain by an advancing enemy. The hated battle of Troy was in the midst and Mynes and his family had set up camp on the Trojan beach along with his army to help fight with the fighters of Troy. So far they had not been successful and the entire family was slaughtered by the feared Achilles, save Briseis. This brings us to our story at present.

Briseis laid on the floor, dress sticky with her husband's stale blood. Her eyes were wide with fear and not far off she saw Eudaner, dead with a spear sticking out his ribcage. She screamed once more and cried pitiful tears. But Achilles was still in the room and now he was advancing towards her. She screamed for help but all was in vain and soon Achilles had reached her. He was a handsome man of 25 and his skin was tanned and beautiful, his hair long and blonde setting off his deep blue eyes. Briseis shook even harder when he smiled at her and put away his blood stained sword. Losing the will to fight Briseis went limp as the elder man picked her up from the corner she lay frightened in, the images of her family being killed taunted her. Achilles swung her over his shoulder without a word and he took her out into the night. A while it was before the reached the other end of the beach and by this time Achilles had put his female captive down and allowed her to walk, holding her hand as she did so. He reached his tent and he took her in gently, taking care and remembering her intense vulnerability. He lead her to a bunch of cloth and calmly instructed her to sit where he offered her wine and bread. The frightened Queen refused them both. Instead she bowed her head and remained silent and wondered of what was to be become of her. Achilles walked and sat next to her on the cloths and he put his arm around her. She instantly threw him off and tried to crawl away. Achilles let her and he got up and walked over to his bed.

"Please, rest," he said, "I understand this day has not been pleasant and you are weary. I took you from your tent after you family's death because I knew that if I didn't, someone else would. Perhaps someone wicked. Don't be afraid of me. You are my guest from now on."

Briseis found it hard to smile at his words but she was greatly relived that she wouldn't be raped or hurt in any way. She managed to lie down in attempt of sleep. Achilles smiled at her pure beauty and he also rested his head near hers and went to sleep.

He was woken in the night by a rustling. It sounded like clothes were being rummaged though and he knew instantly what his little captive was doing. She was finding a weapon. Soon, as expected, Achilles felt the chill of cold metal against his throat. However, he knew that this small girl would never cut his throat, so instead of worrying he grabbed her skinny arms and he rolled her over so he was on the top. From there he kissed her passionately on the lips and from the gasp the girl underneath him made Achilles knew she was thrilled. He was after all a most attractive being. He slowly but gently lifted up her white dress to reveal her thigh where he placed his strong hand. He caressed he whilst kissing he nick and she clung to him like a child, breathing heavily.

Achilles was already falling in love with the girl and by morning he knew that he would not be parted from her.

Briseis did not want to be parted from Achilles either.


	2. Ajax

The morning came as the sun rose in the pale blue sky. More ships sat on the horizon and Briseis wondered if the war would ever end. She had gotten over her families death. She wasn't very close to many of them, and she had been treated very unfairly all throughout her life.

The sun rose on Achilles tent and the beautiful Queen was waking rapidly. When she saw Achilles her heart began to race and she realised it had all been real. She began to panic and cry at the same time. Around her the room was messy and cloth was thrown about. Achilles was asleep next to her. Suddenly she got up off the bed and just decided in a second to run for it. But as she began to do so a hand rested on hers. It was Achilles.

"Where are you planning on going" he said.

She looked back at him. "Anywhere but here. Please let me go. I am no concubine."

"That's right. You are a guest. No one will harm you if you stay." The Greek went back to sleep but before doing so he kissed her forehead and tied her to the pole.

She sat at the pole, her hands bound again and she wiped her tears with her shoulder. He royal blue dress was now dark with mud, blood and tears. She was petrified of this fighting stranger. She had already learnt his name but she thought that Achilles was only a legend. It shocked her that such a man could exist and she didn't dare to speak in front of him. He had hardly spoken to her as well. However she felt incredible venerable on the beaches of Troy. She was however content with the fact that she was with a man who could protect her, a man who, if he wanted, could prevent all harm coming to her. She didn't like the man. She wouldn't have wanted to be with him if he wasn't a strong warrior.

Briseis remembered the night before. She remembered how she had let Achilles do what he wanted; she remembered being to frightened to protest. Briseis told her self that she didn't like it even though a part of her wanted it to happen again and again. But despite this the small Queen felt dirty and used by her captor. Achilles promised not to rape her and indeed he hadn't. He had been far clever than that and Briseis felt violated. Not only had she let him do those immodest things to her but she had also let him tied her back up to the pole so casually afterwards, like she was a toy taken out to be played with and then put back in the box at night. During the whole time they spent together neither had said a word. Briseis dropped her head and cried.

When the sky was high Briseis had been awake many hours. Achilles had been resting through all of this and her hands had begun to hurt incredibly. She tried to look round at times to see if her wrists were alright but each time she had looked away shocked at the bloody flesh. After a while the pain began to cease and Briseis signed with relief. She looked at her sleeping master and he puzzled her. He didn't seem to let his emotions show in anything he did. His aggression came out on the battle field when he slaughtered her kin, but he never looked happy or sad or confused. Occasionally Achilles would smile at one of his Myrmidons or maybe frown at the king, but when he was in his tent with Briseis he always turned away and wouldn't show her how he felt. He hadn't fed her yet but when he ate himself he would just sit and eat, starring into space. Briseis dared to dream that maybe he would let her go. All she seemed to do was sit tied at the pole. She had only been with him around twelve hours and so the pair had only spent one night together. The small captive wondered if tonight would be the same as last night. If he would untie her and kiss her as passionately as he had done last night. I he would hold her like he loved her but then so callously throw her down and tie her up when he was finished. Did he hate her that much that he should inflict such confusion on a girl of nineteen?

Briseis had gone into a day dream when one of the Myrmidons walked through the door. She didn't recognise the man but he looked strong and he walked like a successful warrior would. She looked up in his direction and he smiled at her. Confused she turned away from his pale grey eyes and wondered why he had smiled at her. Surely no one knew that she was once a Queen? That once she had some dignity? She hoped that no one except Achilles knew because she knew that she would be taunted by them as she went from royalty to slavery. She hoped they would treat her like a normal slave. No one special and no one important. Suddenly she noticed that the arrogant man had walked into Achilles tent despite the fact he had not been invited. He crouched down beside her and he lifted her face up till she met his soft stare.

"I am Ajax," he whispered into her little ear. "Who are you pretty one? You are new are you not? You come from Lyrnessus? Very new you are indeed if it is so." Ah, thought Briseis. This is no myrmidon. This is Ajax. She had heard rumours of his victories and of his violence but she never imagined meeting him. However, despite the intimidation she turned her head away from him and refused to answer such a question.

Ajax laughed at the girl and Briseis quickly hid her face to stop him seeing her cry at his malice. However she now regretted her earlier actions and she answered the cruel man.

"Briseis," she whispered even quietly than he had done. Ajax leaned forward.

"What was that my lady?" He said leeringly.

"Briseis," said she, somewhat louder than before. Achilles, disturbed by the noises opened his eyes. In a low voice he spoke.

"Ajax, are you taunting our guest?" But he smiled at his friend and Briseis decided that she hated them both. "You must excuse him, your highness. I assure you he knows not who he speaks to." Briseis burst into tears and the sobs filled the tiny tent. Both men looked at each other not sure what to do. Achilles got out of bed and pulled a black robe over his tanned shoulders. He walked over to Briseis and he cut her bonds. When she stood up he stroked her cheek and wiped away the tears. "Please don't cry pretty maiden," he said, "I apologize for my part and I apologize for my friend here." He hugged her and she refused to move. Glaring at them both through he watery eyes she cursed herself for crying in front of wicked men. What a cliché, thought she as she wiped away the falling tears, how a young girl should cry at mockery.

Achilles already began to feel ridiculously guilty about how he had treated such a frightened youth and he walked over to his bench and picked up some grapes which he handed to Briseis. She nodded to him and took them from his hand. She began to munch through the soft fruit enjoying its fruity taste. Suddenly though, the grapes were taken and they rested in Ajax's hand instead. He laughed and began to eat them himself. Furious Briseis imagined hitting the man or striking him in some way. She knew exactly where she would like to strike him too. But she knew that if she did any of these things she would only be hit twice as hard and end up on the floor, crying some more, and what a cliché _that_ would be! Instead she turned away and acted like she hadn't wanted the grapes in the first place.

"Tie the dog up," said mighty Ajax to his friend. "Queen she was once but the sooner we show her what she is now the better!" With these harsh words Ajax walked away from her and over to Achilles.

"My lord, are you fighting tomorrow? Agamemnon wishes you will." Achilles snorted.

"Then, my friend, I most certainly shall not fight for your king. I would rather stay and tent for my little guest." He flashed a smile to Briseis who turned away in disgust. Ajax laughed.

"Quite a little cow isn't she? I say you teach her some respect." Achilles turned away.

"I shall treat her how I see fit Ajax. But I doubt you treat your little prize as badly as you wish to treat mine." Ajax frowned to Achilles back and he replied.

"On contraire Achilles, Tecmessa is treated just how she deserves Achilles."

"And how might that be friend?" Ajax laughed.

"Why are you so concerned? Do you feel sorry for the Trojan whore?"

"No I do not. I do not know the girl. Please leave now Ajax and treat Tecmessa with respect or I shall take her from you."

Ajax scoffed quietly and left the tent. Achilles held out some grapes once more.

"Eat."


	3. The wait

Achilles walked away from Briseis after she had accepted the food. He pitied her despite her stubbornness. She still felt that she was a queen under her soiled clothes. Last night he had seen her without those clothes. He smiled to himself at the recent memory and he wondered why Briseis didn't stop him as he suspected she would. He was not at all expecting this little captive to give in as he did have no real intention of loving her on their first night together. He wondered what she thought of him. But he couldn't exactly stop once she melted into him. He couldn't push her away or refuse her. So he continued. He remembered how she had cried when he tied her back up. He had to tie her up. When he took Briseis as a slave he planned to keep her tied for at least the first week so she knew how painful it was, and so she would be good for the rest of their time together. She looked at him with her big brown eyes filled with salty tears. She said nothing and neither did he. It wasn't meant to be this way, he thought. I wasn't planning to use her like this.

He looked back at her and watched her eating. She brought her hand up to her round lips and she bit into the fruit. Achilles noticed the horrid burns on her wrists but didn't act surprised. He had seen them before, countless times on other slaves. Tecmessa for example, the poor girl even had them round her neck. Surely the girl did not deserve such wicked treatment.

Briseis saw Achilles starring at her and she turned to meet his eyes.

"Yes?" She said boldly. Achilles sighed.

"You are very beautiful Briseis. I'm sorry about everything that has happened to you." Briseis tried to laugh, just like Ajax had done, in that you-are-highly-amusing manner.

"You not sorry for the things you inflict on me." Achilles argued.

"I did not welcome the warrior into the tent Briseis!" He marched up to her hoping she would back down as he didn't want to have to hurt her even more.

"But you didn't stop him either!" She wailed. What, Achilles thought, does she want me to do? She is asking me to strike her! Does she expect ME to back down? He brought his hand back and caught her cheek with his palm. Her head flew to the left and she gasped and wobbled. Quickly she tried to regain her posture.

"You are nothing but a killer," she spat. "You disgust me." Achilles put his arm on her shoulder and pushed her to the floor. She landed in a little bundle at his feet. Achilles marched outside leaving her alone.

Briseis looked around. Has he gone? Or is he waiting outside to see if I shall run? Briseis had already decided that she would escape come tomorrow so this was an almost perfect opportunity. She would not however, escape how Achilles would expect. She decided to sneak out a different way. Boldly, she crept over to Achilles bed and she rummaged about until she immerged with a knife. The same knife she had held at his throat last night. The same knife that was thrown down as passion overcame their hate. Passion that Briseis wished would never come again. At least not with Achilles. She ran to the side of the tent and she stuck the knife into it. She began to pull the blade up until there was a slit big enough for her to climb through. How easy, she thought to her self. Keeping the knife, she scrambled through the hole. On the other side was the river Scamander. Ha, she thought as she imagined mighty Achilles face when he returned. She wasn't so feeble after all. However, she saw his face a lot sooner than expected as when she turned her head there he as looking at her, his head at an angle. He smiled, but it was not a smile full of spite. This seemed to frighten her more and without thinking she ran into the river as fast as she could. Achilles ran after her. As she got deep enough to swim in the water she suddenly began to panic. Briseis knew she couldn't swim but she still had her plan.

"Please help me Thetis!" She cried aloud as she bobbed on the water. She began to sink and she kicked about until she immerged again. "Please……..rescue me from your ……..son." But he words stopped short as she fell under the water. Tears on her face were washed away by the salty water. She moaned as she began to sink lower. Why wasn't she being saved? She had been faithful all her life and now she was at the mercy of the sea. Thetis was obviously in her sons favour and was not concerned for Briseis's wellbeing. She tried to cry Poseidon's name but the water muffled her screams. Instead her mouth filled with water and it trickled down her throat as she began to drown. At least, she thought, Achilles will never touch me again.

Darkness.


	4. Meeting Tecmessa

Briseis took a breath. She was no longer under water. She was being carried by the sea. Thetis was carrying her. Oh merciful Thetis, she thought. The waves splashed around her as she realised she was still alive. She opened her eyes and it was not Thetis who carried her. It was Achilles. Oh hate! Now he will kill me for sure! He will hold me under the water until I die and he shall be free from the stubborn Queen whom he loathes. He was holding her tightly with one arm, and she was almost tucked under it. His other pushed through the water as he took them back to shore. During this time Briseis decided that she would rather let Achilles take her back to shore in his arms, than die at sea without him. He had saved her, Briseis thought shocked. He couldn't hate her as much as he made out. They landed on the shore and both ended up on their hands and knees, Briseis coughing and Achilles moaning.

"Why….did you run into the….sea?" He gasped. "What a shock that was for me!"

"Your mother wouldn't……….save………me!" She coughed. Hearing her own words she wanted to cry. Thetis had abandoned her.

"My mother knew that I would save you myself. I promised you no harm and I intend to keep it. I will not let you die here. You will die in many many years from now. You shall be old Briseis. Your life will be full and you shall be happy. I refuse to let you die now." He got up and he helped her up to. Her blue dress now stuck to every curve in her body. Briseis felt naked and she was embarrassed when Achilles looked down at her.

It confused her but she began to feel ashamed of giving judging Achilles so harshly. It was true that she did continue to change her mind about him but the scales always tipped towards hate. Maybe she was wrong about the warrior. He had after all saved her life.

Achilles continued to look at her.

"What were you hoping would happen?" He asked her. Briseis thought for a second before answering.

"Um…that your mother Thetis would save me……and….um...Take me away from you. From this. From all the fighting and the sorrow."

"My mother is Thetis. She isn't Zeus. She cant end the war and she cannot end the sorrow." Briseis looked even more miserable.

"Then who can?" She asked. Achilles stroked her cold cheek.

"Perhaps I can." He suggested. Slowly, he lent forwards until their lips met. Briseis didn't back away even though she told her self she should. She swore that she would never let……that night happen again.

But his kiss was so welcoming. So secure and warm and it filled Briseis with feelings she hadn't felt before. Maybe Achilles could make all the sorrow go away. She wrapped her little wet arms around his tanned neck and let him kiss her. Briseis felt that she need this. She needed to be loved. She had never been truly loved and she herself had never truly loved either. She thought that she loved Eudaner but he is dead now and she had barely thought about him since his departure.

Briseis didn't miss anything about her old life. Her spiteful husband who had the power to make her crawl to him. He treated her terribly. Even worse than Achilles had done on her first night in Troy.

Suddenly, Briseis felt Achilles arm underneath her knees and in a swift movement he scooped her up into his arms. She broke the passionate kiss and held him gasping for breath. He began to carry her back to the tent, looking at the ridiculous slit in the side as he went. He placed her on a bundle of blankets and kissed her again. He crawled towards her and stoked her hair, placing his hand on her neck and rubbing it till Briseis clung to him. He held her again and noticed that she had begun to cry. _Women! _He thought. _I shall never understand them. _Assuming that Briseis was crying from possibly the passion he continued to kiss her, nibbling her full bottom lip as he did so. His hand worked its way up Briseis's leg and she suddenly began to panic. However, at that moment they were interrupted as someone walked through the door.

Ajax screamed in fury and he barged into the tent holding a pretty little brunette firmly by her elbow. He twisted it violently and she fell to the floor. Achilles and Briseis both looked up at them. Ajax screamed again.

"Achilles! Take this little Trojan whore from me! She is driving me insane! This is the Fifth time she has not been in my tent when I have returned. I don't know how she does it but I tie her up and she is gone when I come back! I'm fed up of it! Take her from me for at least a night for I fear that if she is in my company any longer I will KILL her!" He kicked the frightened girl in the side once more and looked at Achilles for his answer. Briseis assumed this girl was Tecmessa and she realised that they were around the same age. The poor girl was shaking all over and she was cut and bruised, obviously recovering from an earlier beating. Blood was soaked into her long yellow dress. She had shocking blue eyes, red from crying so hard and long brown hair that was tangled and fluffy. She ignored Briseis and looked at Achilles with pleading eyes. She was begging him to take her from Ajax.

Achilles moaned. "Ajax! I am not going to baby sit your captive!" Briseis threw his hand off her thigh in shock.

"Achilles you must!" She whined. Achilles growled at her.

"I mustn't do anything. Since when did I take orders from you?" Briseis scowled at him.

"Fine!" Achilles screamed, "Fine Fine Fine!" And he walked over to Tecmessa and picked her up off the floor softly. Ajax nodded and left the room.

Once he was gone Achilles raised his eyebrow at Tecmessa.

"What did you do?" he asked slightly amused.

Tecmessa started brushing the sand off her arms.

"I ran from his torture." She said confidently. Achilles brushed her hair back over her shoulders and smiled. He turned back round to Briseis.

"I am sorry how I spoke to you." He said, "You did not deserve it." Briseis gave him a forced little smile. He turned back to Tecmessa.

"You understand that if you escape from me then I may loose my temper with you." Tecmessa nodded.

"If you treat me humanly then I shall have no need to escape." Achilles looked at her for a long time admiring her confidence. He chuckled and lead her over to Briseis.

"This is Briseis," he said, "She is my…." Achilles wondered what to call her. Briseis was his slave and his captive but she wouldn't like to be called either of these things. She was like his sex-slave as well but he certainly wasn't going to call her that. "My guest." He said at last.

He placed his hand on Tecmessa's shoulder and sat her down by the pole.

He picked up some rope and he tied one of her hands to the pole and left the other loose. He did the same to Briseis but as he did so he kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll return shortly." He said. He looked down at Tecmessa who was very dirty. "And I will take you to the river." He smiled discretely at them both and left the tent.


	5. Briseis and Tecmessa escape

Achilles left quickly and the pair looked at each other. They each had a single hand bound. Tecmessa frowned.

"Does he expect you not to try and escape?" She asked.

Briseis shrugged.

"I've tried it before. It didn't work and I almost died so I'm thinking that this time won't be much different. Besides, how would we get out of this? I can't untie such a not with one hand. I couldn't even untie it with two!"

Tecmessa smiled.

"Briseis. This is easy. Use your brain. We can get out of this. Here."

Tecmessa handed Briseis a piece of wood from nearby.

"Snap it in half," she instructed. Briseis nodded and attempted to break the wood in two. She frowned when she couldn't. She moaned as she handed it back to Tecmessa who took it. She held the piece firmly and snapped. She smiled at Briseis.

"Don't worry. Its only practice." Slowly she began to rub the wood together faster and faster until a tiny spark appeared and the end of one splinter caught fire. Tecmessa smiled in triumph and she held the wood underneath the rope until she was free. She did the same to Briseis and blew out the fire.

"Run," she said to her. Briseis stopped.

"How did you know to do that?" She questioned. Tecmessa shrugged.

"It's how I always escaped from Ajax. He always caught me but it was worth it just to see how angry he was that he had been tricked. Come on."

The two began to run out of the tent. It was midday now and most of the soldiers had gone into battle. Few remained and some of them gave the two girls weird looks as they ran past. It was so obvious what they were doing as they both looked petrified and they were running away from a Greek's tent. Just off the city of troy was a forest. Tecmessa was leading Briseis to that forest and she planned to stay there until the fighting stopped for the night and they could creep into Troy. The held hands as they ran on the sand out of the Greek camps. However at the end of the beach, when they thought they had got away with it they were stopped by a tall soldier and his friends. He held out his hand.

"Where are you two from?" He said sounding interested of the two vulnerable girls in front of him. Briseis suddenly panicked and didn't know what to say and so she suddenly blurted out something.

"We're peace envoys." She said. Tecmessa screwed up her face in fury.

"Peace envoys!" She shouted at Briseis. "YOU stupid gir…."She turned her head and saw the faces of the soldiers. "Um…..yes that's right. We are peace envoys. We um….we weren't meant to tell anyone though."

The soldier laughed.

"Are you Trojan or Greek?" Tecmessa and Briseis answered at the same time.

"Greek" said Tecmessa.

"Trojan" said Briseis. Once again Tecmessa screwed up her face. Quickly she tried to work out a way that neither of them had lied.

"Um….." she began, "I am Greek but this is a Trojan. The Trojans sent her to um……to offer peace, and the Greeks sent me. So I suggest that you let us go because both sides of the battle want peace now. The soldiers are going to march back and leave. Uh huh."

Tecmessa nodded at her words but the soldier just laughed again.

"Peace? How about you come back with me and my friends and we'll show you a night of peace." Damn, thought Briseis. She looked at Tecmessa who was bound to come up with something. But her mouth dropped when she saw what Tecmessa did.

The little Trojan brunette nodded flirtatiously and let the big man put his arm around her. She smiled and looked up at him. She let him put his disgusting lips around hers and kiss her but as he did so she bit down really hard. The soldier suddenly groaned and Tecmessa screamed at Briseis.

"Run!" she cried. Briseis turned to run but realised she couldn't just leave poor Tecmessa to fight off three Greek men. Suddenly Tecmessa lifted her knee into the warriors groin and she too ran as he keeled over in pain.

She did a dainty little hop out of his arms and she ran over to Briseis. She grabbed the Queen's hand as she sped past and the two started to run again. Briseis was in total shock though. What an amazing girl she thought. Tecmessa could do anything. Briseis felt like such an idiot as she had almost screwed up the whole plan with her pathetic blurting out of words. They ran past another tent on the beach but as they did so someone stepped out. He was a big man and he had a scowl on his scarred face. Ajax.

"Oh no." Tecmessa moaned as he approached them. He lifted back his hand and Tecmessa flinched as he dropped it to smack her across the cheek. She cried in pain as she was struck but she tried to keep standing. Ajax obviously wasn't happy with this to he continued to hit her until she was on the floor. He began to hit her hander and when she was on the floor screaming he started to kick her with all his strength, grunting each time. Suddenly Tecmessa let out a huge cry of pain and she went limp.

Ajax spat on her unconscious body and he turned to Briseis who was frozen with fear.

He began to approach her and she began to shake so hard she feared she might fall over. Little gasps escaped her pretty lips ever step that Ajax took.

"You can't touch me." She whispered to him. "Achilles would kill you if you did." Briseis very much doubted this but it as worth a try.

Ajax approached shaking with anger.


	6. Bloodshed

Why was she so angry? She wondered. Did he expect them not to try to get back to their home?

Oh Apollo, she prayed. If I don't die know I'll be the luckiest Trojan to live! Oh Please please don't hurt me.

She started trembling even more and she tried desperately to calm him down before he reached her.

"I'm sorry Ajax, Sir. Please. I am sorry. Don't hurt me." She stepped away from him but he reached out and he held her by her throat. Ah, she gasped as he pushed harder into her neck.

"Stop…." She cried. "Please…..I……Achilles!" She tried to call her masters name but it got muffled under Ajax's big hand. She tried to kick him but he just pressed harder into her. She began to cry and the tears ran all over his hand.

"Pathetic," he spat at her as the tears came even faster. Beneath her sobs she could hear Tecmessa get up. Oh, please give her the strength to run Apollo. Let her escape this beast of a man! Ajax continued.

"I am out on the battle field every day! Any fight could be my last and you shed your tears because of your own arrogance! I don't know why Achilles doesn't kill you. Maybe I should do him the favour!" She screamed as he pushed even hard, lifting her off the ground. The breath was forced out of her lungs and she was desperate for a breath. Suddenly from behind someone else spoke……a female.

"Unless I do the favour first!" The person cried. Suddenly mighty Ajax screamed and dropped Briseis. Her lungs filled with oxygen and she let out a sign of relief. She jerked her head up when she heard Ajax scream again in agony. As he fell to his knees he revealed Tecmessa standing behind him. She held in her hand a knife which she had buried into Ajax's bloody shoulder. Poor Tecmessa was covered in bruises and blood was in her hair. Her face was a mask of fury from being humiliated by this insensitive man. Tears ran down her face from her obvious pain and her lips curled in hatred.

"You beast," she cried. "The months of torment I have received from you will never leave me. They will haunt me like my face will haunt you. Like a plague that drifts with you in the underworld. Go to Hell you fiend." She pulled the knife out of his wound and let the blood flow freely down his back. Tecmessa stared at it but Briseis gasped. How this death reminded her of Mynes death. Briseis felt ill and she buried her face in her hands.

"Apollo," she cried, "Make it stop. Please make the sorrow stop." A crowd of people had now begun to form around the two girls and Ajax. The made a circle, everyone trying to peer in and have a look at what had happened. Many drew back in shock when they saw who it was on the floor, dead, leaking blood like a river. However, none of them approached Tecmessa. The kept their distances from the possessed girl with the knife in her hand, dribbling Ajax's warm blood. His early departure shocked even the mightiest of warriors. Tecmessa opened her eyes from a long blink and she scanned the faces before her. The last she saw was Ajax. Her wicked master, dead at her feet. She grew weak and wanted to drop the knife and fall into a little ball and cry. But she didn't do this. She believed that the knife and the fury on her face were the only things keeping the other warriors at bay.

Suddenly she heard some warriors cry, and the name filled her with fear never felt before. Fear that she hadn't even endured in Ajax's tent at night when his body was so close to hers she felt she could move right through it. Or when he'd walk in after a day on the battlefield, covered in some other Trojans blood, and he would tell her how he wished it was her blood all over him.

"Some day it will be," he wickedly whispered to her. "Some day it shall be your blood that I bathe in." Tecmessa used to look back into his eyes and she would always dream of replying to him.

"Not if I bathe in yours first," She begged herself to say. But even brave Tecmessa could not spit out those words. But now she was bathing in his blood. It as all up her arm and on her legs.

She heard them call the name again and her heart skipped a beat.

"Achilles," some cried. She heard the footsteps in the distance. She heard soldiers groan as they were pushed out of the circle to let Achilles in. He looked at his two girls and he looked at his friend. He shut his eyes and opened them, shut his eyes and opened them. Briseis was in a state but Tecmessa's face remained unbroken by grief. Instead she looked at Achilles, her eyes wide, speaking to him from inside her head. Silently she begged him to forgive her for her sin. She would never beg to a warrior using real words. It was not her style and she really would rather die. Intimidation is something she cannot stand and she promised that it would never affect her. Achilles looked back at her and it was hard to say whether he looked confused or angry or pleased. He walked over to Briseis, glaring at the spirited lady who had led her so astray.

"Come," he whispered to her. Briseis was shaking all over and she was defiantly in shock. Achilles put his arm around her and hugged her close to him, stroking her hair and soothing her with gentle words. All the time Tecmessa watched him manipulate the girl and her eyes bore into his back. She could see Briseis head resting on his shoulder, her face covered in relief. She looked like a huge burden had been taken off her shoulders. She clung to Achilles, her little hands digging into his back. She let him whisper to her and she loved it that she was so special to him.

Tecmessa began to get even angrier now when she saw what Achilles was doing to Briseis. Briseis looked up and saw her face over Achilles back and she shook her head quickly. Her mouth kept miming the word "no." She didn't want Tecmessa to start a row. Briseis already cared for Tecmessa too much to let Achilles hurt her. She clung to him not letting him turn round to see Tecmessa scowling at him. But the embrace was broken and Achilles started to lead Briseis back to the tent. He turned around and looked at Tecmessa.

"Come," he said to her. But she stayed where she was and when ever anyone went to retrieve her she held the knife out suggestively.

"I'm going back to Troy." She said confidently. "If anyone tries to stop me the will end up like Ajax. I'm not afraid to kill. It isn't only warriors that are capable of such a crime." She turned to walk away and the circle broke and parted as she walked through the crowd. Achilles sighed and turned to follow her.

"Tecmessa," he cried after her, "You come here now Tecmessa!" he shouted. But she didn't even turn her head and she continued to walk away from him, her back to his face as he shouted. She brandished the knife to everyone who didn't move to allow her access to the path to Troy. They all eventually moved. Achilles looked at Briseis then back to Tecmessa and he ran after her. Briseis stood to attention.

"RUN TECMESSA!" She screamed. The Trojan heard her screams and turned her head. Achilles ran towards her and fear filled her before so confident eyes. She turned and fled fast her hair and dress spilled out behind her as she lifted the dust with her feet. However, she was a quick opponent but no match for mighty Achilles and he soon caught up with her. Realising that the chase was up she turned to face the warrior.

_Oh Apollo, _thought Briseis as Tecmessa began to square up to him. _Please Apollo, don't let her fight him. _But despite her prayers Tecmessa held out her knife and Achilles pulled out his. A shadow cast over the sky.


	7. Mistake

**Thank you people for all reading my story. All the people who have reviewed have been really helpful! Especially 'Eyesofastorm' who was the first person to review. When I first got your review it made me really thrilled. **

**I wrote the first chapter REALLY quickly just to see how the public liked the idea. When they did I decided to write more so thank you. **

**All your support has been really great and every review has made me feel really happy.**

**If you have any good ideas that I should put in the story then don't hesitate to say.**

**And on with the story……………….:)**

What was Tecmessa doing? She was no match for Achilles. The man who slays lions with his bare hands. Tecmessa will be torn to threads if he accepts this fight. She is, after all, making it perfectly clear that she intends to fight for her freedom. Briseis, no longer rooted to the spot, ran to her friend's side and clung to her.

"Tecmessa please stop this." She said as she hugged her. "You mustn't do this. Please don't fight him please!" But Tecmessa ignored her and Achilles told her to stand aside. One of the Myrmidons stepped forward to retrieve her, bloodthirsty and desperate to see Achilles make an example of this slave out of place. Achilles held out his hand to Tecmessa.

"If you don't come now then I shall have to force you and I think we both know who'll win." He said. Tecmessa laughed.

"Why don't you come on and force me then?" She suggested. Achilles smiled.

"You won't look as pretty without your face Tecmessa." Tecmessa laughed harder.

"And you won't be as useful without your genitals." She spat at him. Briseis covered her mouth with her hand.

"Tecmessa don't," she whispered barely loud enough. The brave girl flashed her knife and Achilles threw his to the ground. The myrmidon holding Briseis laughed, but he was the only one. Many other men, even the wretched ones, had held their breath not believe what this Trojan girl was doing. Achilles nodded and stepped forward. Tecmessa held out the knife and the pair circled for a minute until Tecmessa lunged forward, intending to catch Achilles in the heart. Truly her hatred for this man was spilling out. Briseis didn't know who to hope to win. She knew Tecmessa would die in this fight as she could never kill Achilles. But the thought brought a lump to Briseis's throat. She imagined the position reversed. What if Achilles died? Briseis didn't have a clue how she felt about the man. Sometimes she hated him and other times she wanted to be held by his strong arms and forget about the pain. She couldn't survive if he died, she knew that much at least. And what if both their lives were shed? Unto their grave would fall another life also. The life of their friend and lover Briseis for she knew that if both were to fall in this bloody battle then Briseis would do violence upon herself. She could only end the pain with more pain. But then all pain would end and the sorrow that for so long Briseis wished would leave her really would haunt another mortal. Briseis imagined bliss, but she didn't imagine death. This was not her time. And it was not Tecmessa's and it was not Achilles's. She tried to run out to stop their fight but she was held back by the myrmidon whom she already loathed.

Achilles dodged out of the way of the knife Tecmessa held. He didn't look like he was in any danger at all. As Tecmessa dove back away from Achilles after the jab he reached out and slapped her. It was just a light knock but it was enough to send Tecmessa to the ground. She stumbled over but quickly returned to standing. She held out the knife again and went in from another stab. Again Achilles moved out of the way with ease like he anticipated that exact blow. Again he slapped her as she jumped back and she fell to the floor for a second time.

"Get up Tecmessa," he said. "Let's forget this and just go back. I no longer wish to fight you. You are not a worthy opponent." He held out his hand and Briseis wished that she would take it but instead she took a lash at it, trying to remove it from the arm with them knife. But of course it was no longer there as Achilles had retrieved it. He kicked the knife from Tecmessa's hand and pulled her to her feet. He slapped her once again and pulled her by her arm away from the crowd.

"Patroclus!" He said as he pulled her, and the Myrmidon holding Briseis nodded and began to follow Achilles with her. The four of them entered Achilles tent. Briseis was sat down on the blankets and Patroclus sat on the end of the high bed. Achilles looked at Tecmessa in the eye.

"You have extraordinary courage to fight me." He said to her. "I am sorry if I humiliated you, but in case you didn't notice many soldiers out there wouldn't have made such an offer. You are very brave and I would like it if we could try to get along." He held out his hand and cautiously Tecmessa shook it. She smiled and it almost turned into a laugh. Briseis couldn't see anything funny about it.

"So, how did you get away?" Achilles asked amused. Tecmessa shrugged and giggled.

"Are you not angry that I killed your friend?" she asked ignoring his question. Achilles walked over to the bench and lit a candle.

"He wasn't my friend and I dare say he deserved what you gave him. Warriors die in battle all the time. One day he was going to die and I am glad that you were the one to kill him. He treated you terribly anyway and I hope you enjoyed your revenge. It doesn't always taste so sweet though does it? How do you feel?" Tecmessa shrugged again.

"I am not sure. Ask me tomorrow when the knowledge sinks in." she said. Suddenly they were interrupted. A man ran in panting.

"My lord, great Ajax is not dead. He needs help. Come quick."

Tecmessa groaned. She could only imagine how he would murder her later.

_Oh no._ she cursed under her breath. Will the beast not die? In the second Tecmessa saw her own death. Ajax was bound to kill her now.


	8. Authority

**Just to let you know, my email doesn't seem to be working lately so if you already have (or want to) contact me then I haven't seen it. Just post whatever you want to say in my reviews. Thanks peeps.**

**I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Poor Tecmessa. Sorry if before Briseis seemed a bit feeble, but she was trying to save Tecmessa. Cheers**

**On to chapter 8…………………………………………………………..:)**

Achilles quickly fled the tent followed by Patroclus, Briseis and lastly Tecmessa. She stopped the brunette just before she left the tent.

"I don't want to see him," she said worried. "He will be furious with me." Tecmessa really did look worried. Briseis wondered what had happened to her fighting spirit. Up to sixty seconds ago this girl was just believed to have killed someone, and now she is worried that he might be mad at her. That is nothing compared to challenging mighty Achilles to a duel.

"Don't be afraid, Tecmessa. Achilles will protect you from Ajax's wroth." Briseis scanned Tecmessa over with her eyes. The poor girl was covered in blood, her own and Ajax's. She must be in great pain. Briseis had seen the way that Ajax had mercilessly kicked her when she lay on the ground until she fell unconscious. Patroclus looked back through the tent.

"Are you two coming?" he asked. He was a fair man, like Achilles he had blonde hair that fell to his shoulders. Three plaits were entwined into the complexion and they were tied at the bottom with blue string. His blue eyes were that of Achilles. The pair looked startlingly similar, but apparently they were of no relation. Ajax, however, was Achilles first cousin and no two men could look more unalike.

Tecmessa nodded eventually and the three ran out to where the crowd of people were. Achilles was already in the centre, tending to Ajax's wounds. It was said that Achilles was a fantastic healer, almost as good as Apollo himself. People say that he is just as gifted in healing wounds as he is at creating them.

Ajax was moaning in pain and his eyes were dark from the earlier fear. He was no longer afraid now that he had his talented cousin at his side, who, sure enough tended to the wounds and within space of minutes Ajax was back on his feet. Achilles, however, felt guilty for so quickly assuming his cousin dead and not even grieving. It was good that he had not demanded Ajax to be put on a pyre straight away. What a catastrophe that would have been.

Ajax was growling something about Tecmessa and Briseis, but Achilles brushed it of and said he already knew. He looked over at the two guilty girls and frowned. Tecmessa was hiding behind Briseis but then she decided that it should be Ajax that was afraid of her. She marched up to her former master and watched him.

"You bitch!" He muttered. Tecmessa frowned but it soon turned to a smile.

"Me!" she said in mock horror. "You were strangling my friend. I dare say that if our positions had been reversed you wouldn't have thought twice about spearing me." Ajax coughed. He knew that was true. Tecmessa was only good for one thing and even for that she had to be in his bed. With time she forgot her place and Ajax knew that he would have eventually killed her. He may have taken some strange pleasure in it too. He may have enjoyed impaling her with something sharp, somewhere where she wouldn't die. Like in her arm or hip. Then he would have tormented her and possibly raped her one last time before he slit her throat. Then he would take her from his tent and throw her into the dust, dead as a dog. What frightened Tecmessa more than this though was having all that hellish stuff done to her and not having the pleasure of the knife afterwards. She wouldn't be able to live with it.

But now all this stuff seemed inevitable as she had never been hated as much as Ajax hated her now.

Achilles put his arm under his cousin and helped him along the shore till they reached Achilles tent. He placed his friend down and welcomed the other three in. Briseis and Patroclus didn't say a word throughout this but Tecmessa couldn't keep quiet. She insisted on getting everyone on her side, even though most of them already were. She babbled on about how she did it to save Briseis ect.

They were all in the tent now. Briseis was recovering from all the shock of what had happened and she realised how Ajax had almost killed her. She also noticed that Achilles hadn't even told him off about it. She glared at them both. Ajax glared back but Achilles noticed something was wrong and he took her outside.

"What is it?" he said and put his hand on her shoulder. Briseis stubbornly shook it off. She opened her mouth.

"You rush to his aid when he tried to kill me! We told you what happened!" Achilles frowned.

"Briseis! He is my cousin! I am not going to let him die." Briseis crossed her arms.

"So he means more to you then I do?" she asked. Achilles groaned.

"Briseis, I do care about you. You are my guest but…" Briseis suddenly interrupted him.

"Your guest?" She cried. "Your guest? You haven't treated me like a guest so far. You like to manipulate me! You hug me when you feel like it but you use me when you feel like it. Sometimes you make me feel special but I've realised what you're like now. You are just a womaniser. You really couldn't care less what happens to me, and if you do it is only because you consider me as your property."

Briseis smiled inside, thrilled to get all that off her chest.

Achilles visibly fumed. He pushed Briseis away from him violently but Briseis regained her balance. That made Achilles even angrier.

"I don't have time for this!" he cried as he stormed back into the tent. On his passing Briseis grabbed his arm, hoping to restrain him as she longed to confront him on many other things. She didn't, however, get the result she hoped for, and Achilles looked at her in scorn and threw her hand off his arm but clenching his fist and smacking her face with all his force. Briseis cried aloud as she was thrown back. She landed on the floor violently with a red mark across her face. Instantly her lips spilt open, spilling blood onto the sand. Her eyebrow also contained a slit and it bled fiercely down her face pumping the red liquid into her eyes. She screamed again, pulling her sleeve up to her eyebrow and clearing it from blood. She held the cloth of her dress to it and quickly it turned scarlet. But the blood frightened poor Briseis because the amount of it was so great. She stood up, wobbled, and fell down again realising her wounded legs couldn't take her weight. Achilles looked at what he had done and he moved to Briseis's aid. He tried to pick her up but she hit him on the chin grumpily with the back of her hand.

Sighing, but nevertheless worried for Briseis's wound, he left her on the ground as she refused to be touched by him. Tecmessa suddenly appeared from inside the tent. She opened her mouth in shock when she saw her friend in blood. She expected the worst and looked at Achilles in horror as Briseis mopped herself. She ran to her friend's side and placed her arm around her trying to find the wounds. She was revealed when it was only the two cuts on her face, and a few bruises from the fall.

Achilles began to look quite guilty, but annoyed none the less as coming off terribly. He did care about the girl but could he make his affections any less known! The girl provoked him! How would she ever forgive him now? Achilles knew that he would never apologize. That was not who he was. He was dying to run to her and smother her in kisses and apologize but he couldn't. Everything she'd said was true. Achilles did treat her like property. What a wasted heart she had on him. And a pair of hearts that beat in time but shall never have an opportunity to meet. How could Briseis love him now?


	9. Escape and forgiveness

**Ajax was Achilles cousin. Patroclus wasn't. Trust me please "priestess of the myrmidon." I love receiving reviews but it is so depressing when you just criticize me. I do know a lot about Ancient Greece, more than anyone I have ever met. I am basing my story on the real myth not the movie which was changed drastically (but it was still amazingly good wasn't it!) I hope I haven't offended you, but please don't tell people that they're wrong when you're not sure yourself. **

**Thank you for all you reviews. They all mean so much to me.**

"Are you alright Briseis?" Tecmessa asked worried. Briseis nodded.

"I am fine…it's just a….a scratch." Tecmessa frowned.

"It's more than a scratch. You need stitches. You poor thing."

Achilles stood over in the corner. He had decided what to do even though he was sure that his efforts would be rejected.

He walked over to Briseis and he stroked her hair. Surprisingly Briseis didn't shake him off so he continued.

"I'll sew it up, if you'd like Briseis. Come inside. Quick." Achilles tried to lead Briseis inside but she shrugged him off.

"I'd rather sew it myself then let you do it," she muttered. She flinched, ready for another attack but it never came. Briseis opened her eyes and watched Achilles walk over to the tent.

"Come," he said. Briseis nodded, knowing that she needed her eyebrow tended to. She tried to follow him inside but she found it hard to walk. She put pressure on her left leg and cried out. Achilles quickly ran to her and caught her safely. She fell back in his arms despite the feelings that she presently felt. He let her learn on him as he took her inside.

Briseis held her breath. Each needed stick was more painful than the last. It cut her flesh and she cried out each time. The blood had stopped dribbling down her face now and she was handed a cloth by Tecmessa who watched. Achilles stood in front of her as she sat on the bed and when he finished sewing the wound he smiled hopelessly.

"Done," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. Briseis didn't move but she glared angrily at him. How dare he think he has been of some help, she thought. It was he who did this to me!

Briseis began to rise; now finding it a little easier to support her weight with her legs. Tecmessa ran to her aid but Briseis persisted to walk alone. She felt like a fool. Achilles had hit her and not Tecmessa. He had hit her violently like she was an enemy on the battlefield. She walked to the end of the tent and exited. Tecmessa followed her. Briseis looked back and then looked at Tecmessa.

"They've let us out!" She said in shock. "They haven't tied, restrained or ordered us." Tecmessa couldn't believe it either. She contemplated running away but memories came back.

"Shall we...?" she asked Briseis. The girl shrugged and nodded. The two girls began to walk away from the tent cautiously. When they could, they broke into a run and ran away from the place until they reached Scamander which wasn't far away. Briseis remembered her first escape plan. She remembered what Achilles told her. The only reason that Thetis had not saved her before was because she knew that Achilles would.

"Get in the water," she said to Tecmessa. She turned to face her friend. "Get in the water and don't look back. You shall be rescued. Please trust me." Briseis kissed her friend and turned to go back. Tecmessa held her hand tight.

"What about you?" she asked. "Come with me please!" Briseis shook her head.

"No, there are things that I must see to. I shall join you soon. We will be together. Please go now. Quickly." Tecmessa shook her head.

"No. Not without you." Briseis groaned.

"We have no time for this Tecmessa! Do as I say!" She turned to leave again but Tecmessa retrained her.

"I can't swim."

"Trust me!" Tecmessa nodded.

"Promise me you'll be alright. Promise that you shall come and that you'll get yourself away from this place. Find me in troy Briseis. Please don't forsake your life for mine."

"I promise. I promise. I love you Tecmessa." She hugged her friend.

"Go." And she turned and she ran back to the tent. Tears came to her eyes thinking about the future. Tecmessa will be fine, she thought as she ran. My faith tells me she shall be saved. Apollo, let her be alright and forgive me for what I am about to do. Oh Apollo, forgive me!


	10. Memories of Tecmessa

She dust flew up into her eyes as she ran but she continued. Tecmessa had never spoken of how Ajax treated her, but it didn't take the brightest minds to work it out. Ajax had seriously damaged the poor girl. It was an amazing side affect that due to the torture Tecmessa had grown stronger and braver. Briseis began to grow angrier and angrier as she fled back to Achilles tent.

What time was it now? Briseis couldn't be sure but the daylight wrapped around her and the unbearable heat just made her more furious. It was like Briseis was drunk with rage, her mind was clouded and she knew what she was going to do but she couldn't stop it.

Onwards she ran till her feet began to hurt but she continued.

Until she reached the tent.

Briseis stood by the door and stepped inside. Her presence startled the men inside. Ajax was sitting, his shoulder relaxed against three cushions. At his side was Eudorus, Achilles right hand man. Achilles was with them also but Patroclus had gone. Achilles looked up.

"Briseis?" he said. She looked upset, confused, angry, worried…it was hard to say but Achilles knew that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Suddenly Briseis had to think quickly. Her plan had seemed good when basic, but now she had to do it, and the details were precise.

She started acting. She used to love the plays when she was queen. She could watch them for hours and how she longed to be in one of them. She would have loved to play a warrior. A man. She wasn't sure why.

She dropped her head and began to sob. Achilles, as predicted, walked to her side and she flung her arms around him and cried into his chest. He held her back, quite shocked at what she was doing. But she was a lovely girl and he didn't care why she was doing it, he just loved holding her. He wished he had never slept with her so that she could still be a mystery.

She nestled into him and stroked his back. But then she brought her hands to his side and she fingered a shiny blade that clung to his hip. In one swift movement she removed it and pushed herself away from Achilles. He shook his head and almost laughed at her. But he could laugh all he wanted. He was now without a weapon, the most dangerous man she had met was separated from his sword and that is exactly what Briseis wanted.

She held the blade in two hands and looking at it she began to shake. Every eye was on her. Slowly she began to move forward until she reached Ajax who looked at her, perplexed and amused.

"Fight me," she whispered and Ajax laughed out loud.

"I am serious," she said again. "Fight me or I shall kill you in cold blood."

Ajax walked away from her and picked up his sword. They circled.

Achilles watched. But he wasn't frightened. He knew that if one of them died it would be Ajax. He wouldn't let Briseis die. He didn't want her hurt, but this is what she wanted to do.

She looked up at Ajax and shook her head till her hair fell behind her shoulders out the way. She lept forward and tried to slice his chest. He moved out the way and she lunged again. Suddenly Ajax brought back his fist as she stumbled forward and his hit her round the face. He laughed and turned to Achilles who did not return the smile. He gave Ajax a warning look but the warrior turned back to Briseis.

He held out his sword, trying to get her arm but she managed to block it with her own blade. She cried as the swords hit each other, but she being weaker went flying back and landed on the floor in a ball. Ajax walked over to her and kicked the blade out of her hand. She gasped as Ajax drew high is sword ready to end her life, but then a small dagger got thrown to her. Achilles watched her catch his knife and before Ajax could bring the sword down she stuck it in his heart. No mistakes this time. Ajax was going to die.

And he died quickly. Falling on top of her, his weight pinning her to the floor. She cried at what she had done and the dead man on top of her was once alive. She screamed and tears came down her cheeks. Achilles removed the man and helped her to her feet. He smiled. He didn't look angry or even upset. Ajax was his cousin.

But Briseis killed him, Achilles thought. Briseis could do what she wanted as she would do nothing for no reason. She was a good girl. She was his girl and he loved her. Now, Ajax was dead, his blood strewn over the floor and over Briseis. She cried and she began to shake even more than before when she was fighting him. But hadn't she known all along that she would kill him. It was true that earlier she was afraid, but she knew that she could do it. She could and would do it for Tecmessa.

Tecmessa.

Where was she? She was safe. Briseis knew this.

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

Tecmessa sat with Thetis on the beach of Scamander. The wrong side though. They were still on the Greek's half. Thetis was wearing a blue dress. Blue like the sea.

"I thank you again for saving me my Lady" Tecmessa smiled. "But I would love more than anything to go home. Could you take me home?"

Thetis looked at the girl.

"How old are you Tecmessa?" she asked. The lady was wise. Tecmessa knew that whatever Thetis would say, Tecmessa would respect.

"I am nineteen." She replied. Thetis smiled. She had an attractive smile. She had handed it down to Achilles.

"I thought as much." She said. "I believe I am quite gifted at guessing ages." Thetis smiled again. "You were frightened." Thetis said.

Tecmessa shook her head.

"No. I was not frightened." Thetis nodded.

"Then you were angry?"

"I was furious. I was furious but I knew that I would save myself."

"Did my nephew not frighten you at all Tecmessa." Tecmessa dropped her head.

"You nephew was an evil man. I do not say that about warriors. I do not pity them. They fight for their country. They are brave. But Ajax was an evil man and what he did to me was evil. Evil blood ran in his veins my Lady. But I assure you it no reflection on his aunt." She smiled.

"I knew that I would escape his grasp one day. And that was the day that Achilles took my away from him. It is true he may have killed me if he didn't take me." Thetis nodded.

"I understand. How long were you with him?"

"I remember the day that I was taken. It was long before Briseis. She was a Queen during the war; I was a captive at the start. The Trojan War began when I was only ten. Ten years old. I can remember it so clearly. I remember them landing…"

"Who?" Tecmessa nodded.

"The Greeks. Your son, your nephew. They thought they had landed in Troy. They thought that this was the beginning, but it wasn't. This was the prologue of a war. I can tell you what it was like."

Tecmessa looked down, ready to begin a painful story.

"I was a princess…"


	11. Princess of Teuthrania

_Tecmessa's POV_

_Ten years old? That is young. Yet I can still smell the fear that day they landed in Teuthrania. It was the scariest day of my life. The rumours flooded the town, but the people had no time to escape. My mother was already burdened with five children and I was the eldest. I was also a princess. _

_My father, the King. The rumours reached his ears first. Did he fight them? Did he send his armies out to kill them? No._

_He sacrificed the lives of the men on the beach, and he waited for them to come to us. The townspeople didn't know what was happening. They didn't know why we had abandoned the city._

_They blamed the royals. And it was the royals fault._

_The warriors waited on the beach for the armies but none came, so a select group of 30 ruthless killers were sent up to the house. The people watched them as they came, not moving a muscle. _

_The warriors barged into the palace, the doors which my father had opened for them._

_They walked right in and the confronted my father. _

_However it wasn't Priam, the king of Troy, which they saw. They realised that they were in the wrong place. My father explained to them that troy was far from here but they wouldn't leave. We were allies of Troy and sooner or later why would fight with them and kill Greeks. _

_I had been playing on the palace floor near my father when they barged in and I didn't turn a head. I remember being scared but I wasn't to pretend that I wasn't and I was sure that they weren't paying me any attention anyway._

_When I looked up I saw their faces. I knew Achilles instantly. He was the man with the blue eyes and blonde hair. You could pick him out of a crowd of thousands. He was so handsome, so strong, and so confident. Yet strangely he looked tender and loving. He looked like a man that you could love. I don't know how I got all that from only one look at the age of ten but I did._

_He caught my eye too._

_The man next to him was Ajax. I didn't know that at the time but I knew that he also looked very fierce. But there was no love in him. He was a cold blooded man of evil and his grey eyes made me want to cry. I turned away but he had seen me now. I remember exactly what he said._

"_We will leave your country. We will not kill your people if you do these two things. The first. You do not fight in the war. You stay were you are. You fight on neither side." Ajax went on. "And second, you let us take who we want." He smiled cruelly and my heart almost stopped._

_Two hours later a line of Teuthrania's women were in the hall. Ajax shook his head looking at them._

"_Do you, King, know how long this war is expected to go on for? Ten years. In ten years time these women will be fit to die. Show us your children."_

_The shock on Father's face was frightening but another two hours later all the children were in the hall. I was one of them._

_At ten I was a bright child. I had not been taught much but my mother insisted on education and she taught me herself. I was also very pretty. I didn't look any older or younger than ten, but I knew that my lips were full and my hair was long. In those two hours I wished I was a boy._

_But I wasn't a boy. I was a girl and I was in a hall of many._

_Achilles looked at me and smiled. I don't know why. I remember looking back at him. I thought I loved him. I definatly had a crush on him. How old was he when I was ten? He must have only been sixteen. _

_But he was needed. It was rumoured that the Greeks had searched far and wide for the Achaean boy. He would win them the war even though he was young._

_And I, a princess of ten, fancied him. I couldn't stop looking at him and I almost wanted to be taken by him._

_But I wasn't._

_Oh no. the Gods were not kind to me that day, for it was Ajax who chose me. Out of ninety females only I was chosen. No one else wanted a girl and I was terribly puzzled. I would never see my friends or family again._

_On the way out of the hall I cried and cried. None of the men spoke to me._

_My father had sacrificed my life for his people and I blamed him. _

_But he did the right thing. Over time I forgave him. I was only one person and with my capture I saved the city._

_They took me to the boats and I boarded one of them. I was with Achilles and Ajax. I learned that they were cousins. Finally I spoke._

"_What are you going to do with me?" I asked them quietly. It was only them in the room even though many people looked at me when we boarded. I'm sure that they wanted to see, to talk to the princess._

_Achilles at sixteen had only murdered once. It was funny how you might call him innocent. He had only killed when Odysseus had given him a knife to trick him into proving that he was Achilles._

_Of course, before that he had murdered lions with his bare hands. For sport._

_I looked at him as he began to answer. He looked mildly upset._

"_Don't be frightened Princess. What's your name? How old are you?"_

_I was willing to answer anything he asked me._

"_Tecmessa. I am ten years old."_

_Achilles smiled at me but Ajax didn't. He was already beginning to look at me with desire and I was almost sick. I wanted to be alone with Achilles so I could beg him to save me. I already trusted him._

_But I didn't get the chance._

_We arrived in Troy._

_We set up camp and I was tied to Ajax's post by Achilles._

"_He will be here soon Tecmessa. I am sorry for doing this to you." He bound her hands and then looked into my face. He lent forward and kissed me softly but he didn't pull away. I loved his kiss. It was so exciting. I wish that I could have held him. Maybe things would have turned out differently. I would have given myself to him if he had of asked and then he may have taken me back to his tent and I could stay with him for the war. How I loved him._

_But then he pulled away. I was only ten. I wished that it didn't matter but it did. He was sixteen and I was ten. He stood up._

"_Achilles please don't leave me!" I begged. "Take me with you! Please." I'm not sure but I thought I saw Achilles cry. He turned his head and didn't look at me. _

"_You belong to Ajax my princess. I am so sorry. You may be twenty by the time this war is over, I may be twenty six. This is our childhood. But when the war is over and if we both still live, then I will take you away from here. If you want, if you haven't changed your mind then I will make you my wife. But for the time, you belong to my cousin."_

_He smiled once again and left the tent. It was my heaven before hell._

_Six years passed and I never forgot what Achilles said. I still wanted to be his wife six years later. We barely spoke in that time. Ajax was cruel to me. He frequently raped me and beat me. But every time he did so he made me stronger. Until, one day I had the courage to escape. When he left to fight I freed my self with fire and I ran._

_I wanted to go to Achilles so I did._

_I waited in his tent and hid under his blanket until he returned that night. When he climbed into bed I was there and he barely recognised me. I saw his face and he was so handsome. Time had made him even more beautiful. He whispered my name and that night we made love._

_I woke in his arms and I held him so close. He stroked my hair and I felt that the moment would last forever. But it didn't._

_When I was eighteen I grew pregnant with Ajax's child. I gave birth to him and called him Eurysaces. The babe was born on my birthday. I held him all the time but to torment me Ajax took him, saying that Eurysaces would grow up spoilt if I continued to be like that with him._

_I haven't seen him since. There are children running around on the beach sometimes but I know that none of them are Eurysaces because he would only be three months old, as I am nineteen and three months. _

_Where he is I do not know. _

_Yet I am still in love with Achilles. I was devastated when I heard that Briseis had been kidnapped. It was just after my Eurysaces was born and now she has been here for three months. It was only a few days ago when I met her. _

_But she has Achilles and I don't._

_I remember fighting him. The only reason I was angry was because he loved Briseis when he promised to love me. I grew up with him._

_Maybe he doesn't love Briseis. Maybe he does still love me. Maybe he still wants to marry me like he once said, nine years ago._

_I hope I get to love him one last time._

_I fear that I will be dead soon._


	12. Murder

Thetis looked up after the story.

"You love him." She said. Tecmessa nodded.

"From the first day I met him. I will always love him my Lady."

Thetis smiled.

"Then tell me child, what are you doing here?"

"I want to go home." Tecmessa said. Thetis shook her head.

"No that is not what you want." She said.

"What do I want?"

"You want to go to my son, and you want to tell him that you love him."

Tecmessa interrupted.

"But what if he doesn't love me back!"

"Tecmessa. Child. If you don't tell Achilles how you feel then you will regret it for the rest of your life." The girl looked down.

"You're right." She said. "I'll tell him." And she smiled, excited. Thetis hugged her.

"Good luck." And with that she disappeared. Tecmessa turned west and began to make her way back to Achilles tent.

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Briseis looked at the body and then to Achilles. Two men had come in and had begun to pick Ajax up.

"Where are they taking him?" she asked.

"To be buried. Briseis, no matter what happens do not tell Patroclus that you killed Ajax. The two were very close." Briseis nodded and she hugged Achilles who hugged her back. He looked at her.

"Would you like to go to his burial?" he asked. Briseis nodded and the pair began to walk of with the rest of the crowd. Patroclus was no where to be seen.

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Half an hour later Tecmessa had reached Achilles tent. She had rehearsed and rehearsed what she was going to say on the long walk there. She walked inside but didn't find who she expected. On the bench Patroclus sat weeping. Blood was on the floor. Tecmessa was shocked.

"What…what happened?" She asked the Myrmidon. Patroclus almost laughed.

"You bitch. Don't you pretend that you don't know!" Tecmessa shook her head.

"But I don't know! Please, what happened? Where is Achilles?"

Patroclus stood up and walked towards her.

"Where do you think he is you whore! He is at Ajax's funeral! The man that you killed!" Tecmessa was completely perplexed now.

"But…but. Ajax survived. I didn't kill him!" Patroclus laughed.

"Yes! He survived your stabbing so you decided to go back and take another shot you bitch! Well guess what! Now it's your turn. Rob me of my friend and I shall rob you of your life!" Patroclus hit her across the face and she fell to the floor. There was no time to fight. He had already crawled on top of her and had pulled out his knife. Tecmessa screamed at the sight of it.

"HELP!" she cried. But she was cut off as Patroclus covered her mouth.

"Scream all you want. You are a dead girl." Tecmessa began to cry. Tears flowed on top the floor as Patroclus put the blade to her tanned throat.

"Please no! Don't!" She cried through his fingers. "I have a son!"

Patroclus laughed as he pulled the blade to let her die.

"Then I shall kill him too!"


	13. Remember me

Briseis and Achilles walked back to the tent after the burial. Briseis was crying but Achilles didn't look very sad at all. He turned to face Briseis.

"Are you ok?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Yes I'm fi…….." Suddenly she was cut off by a large scream from Achilles tent nearby. They turned and Achilles's eyes widened.

"Tecmessa," he whispered.

He turned and ran, Briseis followed him but he reached the tent long before she did. He ran inside. Patroclus was crying in the corner of the tent. Tecmessa was lying on the floor in the middle surrounded in blood. Her own blood. Achilles gasped and ran to her side. He picked up her head and rested it on her lap. Oh Apollo, he prayed.

"Achilles," she whispered. He put a finger to her lips.

"Don't talk. Don't worry. You'll be fine." He said reassuringly.

She had lost a lot of blood. He looked at the wound. It wasn't deep. She could survive he thought. Yes, she'll be fine. But deep down he knew that Tecmessa was dying. He held her close.

"Achilles." She whispered again. "I am dying…" He dropped his head and tears sprung to his eyes.

"No," he said. The tears began to flow as he shook his head. Tecmessa's heart broke.

"Achilles listen to me. I am dying. But I want you to know that….that…" she was finding it hard to talk. She didn't have long now.

"That…..I love you. And I have…..always loved……you." She began to gurgle.

"From the day you……came in when I was…….when I was ten. I loved you. And I ….have always loved…..you. Achilles. I shall always love you. In life you were my…..my hope. And in death you will be my….my peace." Achilles cried some more and held her.

"I will always love you." He replied. "I love you Tecmessa, you hear me! I love you! Please don't die Tecmessa please!" Tecmessa silenced him with a blink.

"I want you to do….two things for me." Achilles nodded.

"Yes…anything!" She smiled. How beautiful she was.

"Please….find my son. Look after him. Do what is best…..for him." Achilles nodded again.

"And Achilles…" he waited for the second thing. "Achilles…..just……remember me." And with that she died. She went limp into his arms and he rocked her back and forth, crying so hard.

"Tecmessa. I will always remember you. Please. Wake up." He let out a huge sob when he looked at her closed eyes.

"No!" He whispered through the tears. "No."

He continued to rock her. He pulled back and looked into her beautiful face. The tears stopped and he almost smiled.

"I will never, never forget you." He hugged her once more. Holding her close he whispered in her ear what she longed to hear.

"My beautiful wife."


	14. Goodbye

**_Hey everyone. Thank you so much for reviewing and reading. It's been really good. Sorry to everyone who doesn't like Briseis in this story. I've changed her about three times now. Lol. _**

**_I got a few people not understanding why Achilles called Tecmessa his wife. It will explain later, but ill do it now. They weren't actually married but Tecmessa loved him and Achilles knows this so he wanted her to hear what she wanted to hear. In Tecmessa's POV it explains that Achilles said that if they both survive the war then he will marry her. He was young at the time, but he does have feelings for her. He has feelings for Briseis too though._**

_**Thanks peeps.**_

Briseis appeared at the door.

"Your wife?" she muttered. She walked into the tent and she saw Tecmessa lying in his arms. For a second nothing existed. The state of shock which took Briseis was completely thoughtless. Then she began to feel something.

Tecmessa! No, please don't be dead.

She ran to her friend's side. Oh Apollo! The blood had covered her entire body now; her mouth was slightly open, her life closed.

Briseis didn't even cry. Maybe she had been all cried out that day. She had killed Ajax, and she felt hugely relieved but also terribly guilty.

Why was Tecmessa dead? She glanced around the room. Patroclus was in the corner, weeping. His hands were covered in blood. Tecmessa's blood.

Rage filled Briseis's heart and she suddenly screamed in fury as she ran towards Patroclus. She dived at him from behind, her arms wrapping around his throat. She kicked him and kneed him in the back until he spun round and face her. She broke away.

"You killed her!" she screamed at him. "You killed her!" Patroclus face was twisted in anger now.

"She killed Ajax!" Briseis laughed through her pain.

"No she di……" Suddenly Briseis stopped. Oh no. Please no. She couldn't believe this. It wasn't true. Tecmessa did NOT die for her own sins.

"She didn't kill him." She whispered. Tears now streamed down her face. She was worried that the men saw her as weak because she was crying. But she wasn't weak. Briseis knew that she was so strong inside and that she didn't care if the men thought she was a cliché because of her tears. The tears just came from shock, not weakness.

"She didn't." she repeated. Patroclus shook his head.

"Yes she did. Don't defend her. She is dead because she ended Ajax's life! You went to his funeral! You should know he is dead you bitch!"

Briseis glared at him.

"Yes Patroclus. Ajax is dead. I know he is dead but Tecmessa did not kill him! You have murdered innocence!" Patroclus continued to shake his head, begging what she was saying wasn't true.

I am not a murderer, he thought. I wouldn't kill an innocent woman. She was guilty. She was guilty! She was guilty of Ajax's murder. Of Zeus please let me be right, he begged.

Briseis was shaking now. With anger and with grief.

"Tecmessa didn't kill him." Pause. "I did." Patroclus looked at her.

"What?" he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

"That's right." She said. "I killed that evil man! And he was evil Patroclus. He was so so evil. So I killed him."

From the corner Achilles saw Patroclus contemplate killing Briseis. It was a faint look that Briseis would not have seen. Achilles could read his close friend though. He was right this minute planning of murdering Briseis.

"And she didn't kill him alone either!" He said, knowing that Patroclus would never hurt her now. "I threw her the knife!"

Patroclus looked at him in shock.

"He was your friend!" He cried.

"No Patroclus. Briseis is right. The man was evil and she did the world a favour when she ended his life."

"She did the Trojan's a favour." Achilles grew angry.

"Do not make this a matter of sides! This is a matter of right and wrong and Briseis is not wrong." He shouted at the younger man who coward away from him. The screaming stopped. Briseis and Patroclus just stared at each other.

"I would kill you, "she began, "but enough blood has been spilled this day!" She spat at him through her words. Patroclus frowned.

"And you would be lying in the dust if it wasn't for Achilles." Briseis laughed.

"Are you afraid of him Patroclus?" He didn't answer.

She turned to face her friend. She looked so peaceful. What was the last thing she'd ever said to her? It was "I love you Tecmessa."

She was glad it was something nice. She smiled on her friend. Then her smiled changed to a frown.

This is all my fault, she thought. If I had never killed Ajax then Tecmessa would still be alive. Briseis cried some more as she hugged her friend.

"We'll be together soon," she said as she placed her back on the ground.

Achilles stood up. His eyes were dry now. It was like he'd never been crying. He wasn't likely to admit it either.

"We should bury her." He said. Briseis shook her head.

"She would prefer to be burned." She said. She remembered when they used to speak about the warriors and how they were burned sometimes. She wanted to be burned too so that the gods would receice the smoke and know who she once was.

So they would remember her. Briseis hung her head. Tecmessa would not be forgotten. She was an amazing woman.

"Briseis I want you to stay here while I take the body to a pyre." Said Achilles. Briseis frowned.

"Don't order me about. I want to come to. Tecmessa was my friend." Achilles nodded.

"Fine." Then suddenly he stopped to think.

"Her child." He said. "We must find him."


	15. Finding Eurysaces

Briseis knew not how to find Tecmessa's child, but she knew that she would do it for her friend. She looked at Achilles upset.

"What are we going to do?" he asked her.

"Well, we are going to find her child."

"Then what?" he asked. Briseis sighed.

"Then we will look after it." Achilles shook his head.

"No, I am not looking after a baby. I don't like babies." Briseis groaned.

"Then obviously you don't like yourself, now come on!" Achilles opened his mouth.

"Briseis!" He called after her. "How do you intend to find this child? I assume you'll think that it'll be easy to find him, you'll just knick him from who ever is looking after him, then you'll take him back for us to look after as our own and we'll all live happily ever after! Well sorry Briseis but I am a fighter, I'm not here to play happy families!"

Briseis looked down.

"You call yourself a fighter, but you only do it because you want to hide that deep down you have some love in you. Don't try to hide it any more Achilles. I know what you are. I know that you are a strong warrior but you can love too. Don't give up on that. don't give up on me." Achilles smiled.

"You speak like we are an item." Briseis looked at him.

"Are we?" Achilles smiled again.

"Yes, I think so." Briseis giggled, then turned serious.

"Ok, but I want you to forget that you are more important than me because your not. I don't want any more wickedness from you. If you treat me like dirt just once, then I shall leave you." Achilles, tired of being told what to do, nodded irritably.

"And none of that either," said Briseis laughing. Achilles leaned forward and picked up her tanned hand. He lifted it up and kissed it. Then he put his arm around her and they walked off to the end of the beach.

"How will we find him when all we know is a name?" muttered Briseis depressed. Achilles lifted up her chin.

"We will. A three month old baby. There aren't that many of them on a Trojan beach I assure you. We'll find him.

Briseis prayed that he was right.


	16. Burning

**Hey everyone. Thanks once again for everyone who reviewed my story. I'm building up quite a little collection of reviews that I never thought I would have. I was reading someone else's story the other day, I wont say who's, but some people leave the most horrid flames! I couldn't believe it when I saw this particular one! Some people are so cruel, and they would tell someone that they should never write again! I make sure that I defend the person who is being flamed as I have never read a bad story. Constructive criticism, like what I have received, is fine. But when people tell you that your story is awful that is just plain wrong! That kind of talk can steal a person of their confidence permanently. I think that if we ever see a flame, we should defend that person and try to recover what the flamer has done. And also we should speak to the horrid flamer! Thanks peeps. **

**Sorry, I've been babbling, but I feel really strongly about this. To say such wicked stuff to someone is so wrong. If people hate the stories they read so much then WHY do they continue to read them?**

**Thanks so much everyone. On with the story…**

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Her hand was shaking; Briseis, disappointed, had begun to despair. They had been searching for the babe for nearly half a day. Night surrounded them and still the child was missing from them. Tecmessa's cremation would be here soon. Achilles had insisted that she were burned instead of buried. He also insisted that every Greek warrior should be present. No one dared argue.

Briseis looked at the mud below her. She felt so guilty that she had not found Eurysaces in time for the funeral. Maybe it was better actually that he didn't see his mother burn.

Tecmessa was lying atop the pyre, the stars her witnesses. Witnesses of the end of the beautiful life of a beautiful woman. Tecmessa had died well before her time. Briseis would be the one to burn her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do so, but she was sure Tecmessa would have preferred Achilles to do it and so she gave him the task.

She held her breath as he climbed to the top by ladder. The mound that her fragile body sat upon was higher than the other pyres and all could see this magnificent lady, who Briseis believed to be dead because of her own sin.

The pyre roared to life; Tecmessa began to burn. Her soul vanished into the underworld, her dead life just beginning.

"Find peace, friend." She whispered to the smoke above her. Everyone around her was watching too, everyone would know Tecmessa's story. A princess stolen at the age of ten, forced into slavery and died for a sin she hadn't committed. Briseis hung her head, refusing to look at the fire anymore for the tears in her eyes were burning her more than the red flames. Achilles, returned from the task, put his arm around her and held her close so she could weep on his chest. People were staring but she didn't care. Men's eyes were made to look so let them stare. Tecmessa would never live again. She could shed some womanish tears for that displeasure.

Men could not give her once second of forgiveness for her tears. Were they all emotionless themselves? Briseis frowned when she sensed their eyes on her once more. Men cry, they cry in battle, as children, from pain, from laughter. Yet should Briseis cry they curse her for being none other than a cliché, cursing mans existence. She was the strongest woman that most men knew, and to know Briseis was to know true courage and bravery. She was a girl, but were she a man she would be known for her courage. She had sat through her family's slaughter, how many men had endured that? She was forced to marry a man twice her age, and was made to share his bed during her young teenage years. How many men had endured that also? And what about losing her brother? Her twin. Bienor, the only person she truly cared about. How many twins had been lost in the battle? Not many. Briseis had never gone through the agonies of childbirth herself, but she had watched and helped women who had. She laughed at men for thinking that she was weak, for how many of them had given birth to a squirming youth? And yet now, they would mock her for crying at her friend's funeral. For everything that Briseis had been through in her short years, she believed that she deserved to part with some tears!

Achilles glared at them and they turned their heads. He held her, wishing that he could bring her the ecstasy that she needed. But he knew that she would never let him. She was weak on their first night together, physically and emotionally. He doubted that she cared about her life anymore after watching her family being killed. But now…now would be different; Briseis was a remarkable woman and he didn't believe that she would let him do that to her. He was never quite sure what her feelings about him were. Briseis on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to rely on Achilles. She believed that she could trust him. She wasn't sure why, and it didn't really matter to her. She wasn't sure whether or not she believed in soul mates, but if she did then Achilles would be hers.

That lifted weight off her shoulders.


	17. The End and The Beginning

**Hello. Please don't think that Briseis isn't as strong as she seemed in the movie, because she is. I know some of you don't really like her much because she lets people…control her. I don't agree at all. She is still the same old Briseis and I'd really like it if you could tell me whether or not you like her. Try and see her as the same Briseis you all know and love, because that is who she is. She is just really upset and she does think she love Achilles. I hope you all start to like her a bit more. I feel I sort of need to create and argument between Briseis and Achilles to give her a big opportunity to stick up for herself, and to show you she is really strong inside. **

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I love every single review and I love receiving them so much. Thanks again fans!**

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It seemed forever until the fire burned out, and when it did if just made Briseis even more upset. When it was burning it felt like Tecmessa was till alive. But when it burned out she felt that The Fates had really cut the string and burned out Tecmessa's life too.

She felt she would kill Patroclus, if it was the last thing she ever did. If she would die doing it, it would be done. She wondered if Achilles would ever forgive her for that. Ajax was a line that he had let her cross. She didn't think he would be as understanding with Patroclus. The pair seemed so close. Patroclus had known Achilles since they were both very young. Patroclus had been asked by Peleus to teach Achilles how to run, throw, fight ect. Achilles had let Patroclus beat him in all those things, even though he knew that he was better. He felt it would be honourable to his father to let Patroclus try and teach him, just like his father had asked. Achilles didn't want Patroclus not being able to do something his father had asked.

But when it came to wrestling Patroclus couldn't take winning any more, so he shifted his weight to let his friend knock him over. Achilles laughed and clung on to Patroclus, knowing that his friend (thinking he was stronger) would try to push him away. When Patroclus did as intended he was shocked at how strong Achilles was. He had certainly not been expecting it as he had beaten Achilles at every sport they played! He struggled and struggled and tried to get away but Achilles just laughed and help him tighter. When Patroclus had understood what was happening he laughed too, and the pair had been friends ever since. She didn't think that Achilles would take kindly to her ending that friendship.

But it was his choice, her or Patroclus, True, she loved him. Or she thought she did. But then, abuse would seem like love after her marriage with Mynes.

People began to disperse from the pyre, relived that they could leave at last. None of them wanted to come; most of them never knew Tecmessa and, if she were alive, would happily kill her for all the fuss she caused.

Briseis, still having tears on her cheeks, walked away, Achilles' hand around her shoulders, looking solemn too.

They walked into the tent and said nothing. Achilles thought it was awkward but Briseis was glad. She felt whatever Achilles said it wouldn't talk away the pain. It would just add to it. Eventually, alas, he spoke.

"I'm sorry about Tecmessa." Briseis nodded.

"You don't need to be sorry. It wasn't your fault. If anyone's it was mine. I am the one who killed Ajax. I should be the one burning on the pyre."

Achilles moved to her.

"Don't say that," he said. "Ajax deserved to die. It is not your fault Tecmessa is dead." Achilles dropped his head. "I miss her too. I knew her since she was ten and I sixteen." Briseis looked up.

"Tell me about it please." She whispered. "If it isn't too hard."

Achilles shook his head.

"It isn't hard; she'd want us to talk about her wouldn't she. We mustn't forget her." Briseis thought what he had just said was stupid; of course they wouldn't forget her!

"Tell me." Achilles nodded and turned to face her.

"Excuse me if I cry," he whispered.


	18. Having to Win

_Achilles POV_

_My mother kissed my like I was a little girl when she sent me away to Skyros. I was only ten. Must've been only ten._

_However she kissed me, Thetis couldn't hide the fact that I really was a boy. Not a girl like she pretended I was._

_When she foresaw the war everything changed. I almost wish she never saw it in her dreams, but she did. One day she sat me down and told me that they would be coming for me. The kings would come for me._

_She explained that six years into the future there would be a war. A most amazing war that would take up ten years in time. She said that I was needed in this war, and that the Greeks couldn't win without me. She said the worst part was that in a few years time, the Greek seers would begin to prophesise the war, and they would eventually know that they needed Achilles, son of Peleus, to win._

_She pondered about what to do for days. She would pace and pace, then she would visit the waters and think and think._

_I remember walking up to her and in my innocence I suggested something._

"_Mommy," I said, "why don't I just go to Troy? Why can't I just go and fight for Agamemnon and Menelaus like they want? What would be so wrong with that? I want to fight and kill for Greece."_

_Thetis shook her head._

"_NO Achilles. When you are older you will have changed your mind. You are too young to understand now. This war is going to last for ten years. You don't want to get pulled into that do you? You will not come free until you are twenty six, and then will have lived away your life." I nodded._

"_Yes Mommy, but that is what I want. I don't care how long it will take Thetis. I want to fight. I will still have plenty of time left to live and love once the war is over." Thetis picked me up._

"_Sweetheart. Achilles. I didn't want to tell you this but I have seen something else in my dreams too."_

"_What is it Mommy?" She seemed to find it hard to tell me._

"_You…you will die in Troy." I stopped to think._

"_Then I will die honourably, doing what is right. I will not hide from the world. I am Achilles, son of Peleus. I cannot hide. If the Gods say I shall die in Troy, then that is where I shall die."_

"_You don't know what you are saying."_

"_Yes I do. The Gods have chosen then to be my time." Thetis got angry then, but it wasn't at me. She was angry with the world; it is such an unfair place._

"_But I am a god too! And I say that you are not going to Troy!"_

_She disguised me as a girl, grew my hair long, and sent me off to Skyros. No matter how upset Thetis was, she knew as well as I did that I WAS going to Troy. It was inevitable. It is what had been decided._

_In Skyros I met Deidamia. She was the princess there. The pair of us fell in love even though she was ignorant to the fact I was male. We went swimming one day and she discovered. I made love to her in the pool and held her in my arms._

_Deidamia later informed me that she was pregnant with my son Neoptolemus. _

_That is when I knew it was almost time for me to be found._

_Thetis had told me I would never see my son. They would come for me before I ever saw him. So I decided to get ready._

_I began to train hard. Before I just did it as a hobby, but then I began to get really serious. I killed lions with my bare hands. When those Greek monsters come I will be ready for them. That is what I told myself._

_Then one day they did come and I didn't even run. I heard that in the main hall of the castle the Greeks were giving out gifts to every girl in the palace. I didn't see the trick. I went along and stood in line to choose a gift._

_When it was my turn to choose I suddenly gasped. On the table in front of me was a shield, a sword and a spear. The other girls had all chosen things for hair and make-up. I reached out and picked up the three things I wanted more than anything. As I begun to walk away a man stopped me._

_He smiled and then laughed._

"_Achilles." He said. I was so angry at being caught out that I raised high my spear and I stabbed him, ending his life. The king of Ithaca, Odysseus, turned his head._

"_Ah, Achilles. There you are. I knew you couldn't resist a fight." He held out his hand. "Come with me, Son of Peleus."_

_I had no choice. I turned and followed. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Deidamia._

_I didn't get to say goodbye to my son._

_We sailed for a while, everywhere I looked people where looking back at me. I felt like a prisoner on the ship. I was locked in my room at night and I was spied on in the day. I felt like an outcast, a Trojan that we were fighting against. One day a Greek man spoke to me. I never learned his name._

"_Are you really Achilles?" he asked me. I groaned and walked away from him. I got this a lot. I shouldn't have been so rude, but I had grown arrogant, knowing I was fantastic at everything I do. I was also only sixteen, a teenager, and a rude, arrogant one at that. But then what can you expect from the most feared person? I was only in my teens and grown men coward from me. It made me laugh and gave me my first taste of power. A power that would never leave me as long as I lived.._

_But this time the man stopped me._

"_Please talk to me. I've been watching you and I…"_

"_I know!" I interrupted him. "I am not a prize you know! I've seen you all looking at me. I've seen you leer at me. I am not a prostitute either!"_

_The man jumped away from me, afraid I would attack._

"_I no you aren't, My Lord. I didn't mean to imply…on any level that you were a…a…prostitute. I Merely…."_

_At this point I walked off leaving the man desperately thinking of some verbal attempt to save himself for my famous wrath._

_Laughing at his vulnerability, I turned my back on the stranger._

_Sitting on the deck of the boat, I sighed. I lifted my knees and rocked myself, not sympathetically, just from boredom. _

_I counted the stares I got as men walked past me, sailors, warriors._

_I just threw them all filthy looks. They all KNEW I was a prisoner here, and that I had no choice whether or not I was taken to Troy and forced to fight for a King I hardly knew. The knew that I would fight away my teenage years. I was the youngest there. The other men were at least twenty. I had seen too few summers to be aboard this boat. No one cared what I wanted though. _

_A while later, when I was considering jumping off the boat to see how many frightened soldiers would jump in after me to retrieve the warrior they needed most, a man came to sit next to me and demolished my amusing plan._

_I looked up at him, annoyed that there was someone taller than me. Infact, I hadn't noticed it but most of the warriors were taller than me. I'm sure, being the feared man that I am, they hadn't noticed it either. I was sixteen though, and had more growing to do._

_He was a good looking man; I estimated that he was about twenty nine. I presumed that I was accurate enough, as I had inherited my mother's gift for being able to guess ages._

_I threw him a filthy look for being confident enough to sit next to me. Even attractive men didn't think it was too good for their ego to be seen right beside me._

"_What do you want!" I spat, too rude in my arrogant adolescence. You couldn't blame me though. No man was confident enough to make me apologize or even regret what I had said. So I was rarely polite. It was something I eventually learned in my adulthood._

"_Just to look at you," he replied, as cocky as my father often was._

"_Look at someone else. Something so bright might hurt your female eyes." You couldn't call me vain; I had a gift to be able to see myself as everyone else saw me. I knew what I looked like, and I knew why men and women lusted after me. You couldn't blame them._

_He laughed at me like it was a joke and I tried not to laugh too; I was in a filthy mood._

"_Why do you keep me here?" I demanded._

_He looked into my eyes._

"_I don't keep you here, the Kings do. I don't have a choice who goes or stays. I am relieved that you are here though. Everyone has heard of you. We need you here, My Prince." I coughed._

"_Don't call me Prince unless you are willing to treat me like one." _

_The man nodded._

"_Ok, I will treat you like a Prince."_

_I laughed._

"_Oh really! And if I was a prince what would you do to save me in this situation." I stood up quickly and in a second had dived off the end of the boat. I don't know what he did then, but I assume that he cursed, called for help, and the next thing I knew I had about ten warriors diving in after me. I bobbed back out of the water and laughed at the men around me fighting for breath. Suddenly someone hit me from behind and I submerged for a second. When I returned I was facing the man who was talking to me up on the deck. He made me laugh because he was purple with anger._

"_Why do you care so much," I mocked once I had spat out all the salt water. He reached out, grabbed hold of my shoulders and shook me. I could have easily kicked him off. He didn't realise it but if I was to bring me knee up a few more inches he would be in excruciating pain. I didn't hurt him though. I laughed as he shook me and it seemed to make him madder, which made me laugh more._

"_I don't care!" he shouted. I giggled._

"_Let me drown then!" He released his grip for a second, only to come in close to me. If I was only land I probably would have jumped back, but kicking about in water made that a lot harder. He quickly brought his lips down on mine and held me tightly by my shoulders, bringing me closer to him as he licked my lips and tasted my flesh. He grabbed my neck as he kissed me harder. I didn't move during this time, I was in mild shock and I was also being held pretty tightly. _

_Suddenly he slipped his wet tongue into my mouth and I felt like biting it off. Instead I lifted my knee and let him scream and sink for a bit before I pushed him towards another soldier. I spat in the sea and turned to swim back to the ship. I grabbed hold of an oar and hurled myself out of the water like it was the easiest thing I had ever done. When I was pulling myself over the side and on to the deck I felt someone pulling on my shoulders, trying to help me up. I would have kicked him off but couldn't so I let him pull me up. Dripping wet, my cloths sticking to me I stared at the hundred anxious eyes watching me intently._

_I threw off the damp cloak that was weighing me down and left it on the floor making a puddle as I walked away. I was wearing a skirt but I still felt naked with their eyes on my back as I stalked off, not caring for the other warriors in the water._

_Then night arrived_

_I went back to my so called bedroom and relaxed on the bed. It felt weird being in this room without the door being locked. There were no windows either, so when the light wasn't shining through the whole in the ship, I was plunged into darkness. I often felt so alone in the night, surrounded by black. I always slept with some in my bed back in Skyros, be it a prostitute, a lover or my partner Deidamia. I did have many lovers though, even though Deidamia was carrying my baby. I slept with men and women and never knew what alone was like. _

_Until now._

_I didn't like it but then the appetite changes. Maybe being alone would grow on me. I found out that it never did._

_I suddenly felt regretful for refusing the man on the deck. At least I wouldn't be alone again, and he'd have something to talk about with his boring friends tomorrow._

_Suddenly I heard the door starting to be locked and I bounded out of bed just in time to hear the wood locking me into place._

"_Wait! Stop!" I cried as I bounded on the door with my fists." Please, don't do!"_

_I was lucky enough to get a reply_

"_What is it, My Lord?"_

"_Let me out!" I wailed. _

"_I am sorry. I can't do that. Orders." I felt my anger rising._

"_Fuck your orders! If you don't let me out right now I am going to put my fist through this door and beat you black and blue!" I shouted._

_The man tutted._

"_You know that even you couldn't do that." I hated it because I knew that he was right._

"_Please! I need to…go to the bathroom!" I heard him sigh, but the door was opened at last. When I saw the cocky man's face I didn't know whether to thank it or punch it in. I chose nothing, instead I ran off._

_I didn't really know what I wanted, just not to be alone. _

_Just to be with anyone. Why was I being like this? Was I really so frightened of being on my own? I don't have a weakness, I told myself._

_I went back onto the deck and saw the other soldiers laughing, drinking, gambling and wrestling. I walked up to one table confidently. An arm wrestle was taking place._

"_Can I play?" I asked them. It was more of a demand than a question._

_I watched them exchange worried glances and I smiled innocently._

"_Erm….well, you could play but….but….you don't have any gambling money so you can't. Sorry."_

_I raised an eyebrow and extended my hand and took what was on the table. _

"_I do now. Let me play." They groaned and my determination and persistence, but nevertheless, let me pull up a chair and join them._

_They looked at me once the match was won and the winner collected nothing. I had taken the money for my own but he didn't dare complain. _

"_OK, I'll play now. I bet…1,000." One of the men coughed as I plonked it down on the table._

"_That's only…60." He told me. I scowled at him and nodded._

"_Fine," I said, "beat me and I'll lie with you tonight."_

_I instantly had many offers._

"_But…if I win…I get to kill you." Suddenly the hands flew down and I laughed._

"_As much enjoyment as that would give me, I recall it. If I win…I get all your money, no complaints, and any possession of yours that I choose. You must also guarantee that if I win, you will find a way to let me be able to go wherever I want, whenever I want. And if you fail to comply then I really will kill you. Agreed?" I said with a smile. I obviously wouldn't kill the person, but I really wanted freedom and I hated that I had to buy it. I usually had everything I wanted._

_Some men caught eye contact with me and I looked right back. How they wanted me._

_I ended up wrestling a man of twenty eight. I sat opposite him, loads of people around us all craning their necks for a look. Other tables had left their stuff and were now watching the son of Peleus offer his body for freedom. I knew I would win though._

_Suddenly my component pulled his arm back. _

"_Hey!" I said. _

"_I'd prefer to wrestle." He moaned. I laughed._

"_Why? You would loose at that too." He scowled at me._

"_Fine." I said. "Whatever you want." I pushed back my chair and stood waiting for him. He joined me. I raised my fists and we circled for a while._

_Suddenly I lunged at him, catching him square on in the jaw, lifting him off his feet. He landed un-conscious at the bow. I was shocked. I hadn't actually meant to do that. Obviously I pretended that I had._

_Everyone looked at me and I smiled. Suddenly I spotted the man who kissed me earlier._

"_That doesn't count." He said._

"_What do you mean it doesn't count? Of course it does!"_

"_You never said that you could hit the face!"_

"_What? That's a load of rubbish. We were wrestling!"_

"_That isn't wrestling!"_

_I growled._

"_Fine!" He stepped forward._

"_But I'll fight you," he said. I smiled at the chance to kick is ass._

"_Same bet. You win and I'll lie with you, I win and you give me my freedom. No matter what!" I nodded. "Oh…and anything goes!"_

_He shook his head in approval._

_I laughed to myself. Why was he asking me to embarrass him? He was going to be knocked out by a sixteen year old. He'd never live it down._

_We fought. I hit him in the face but he didn't fly like the other guy did. He groaned but cam back to hit me. I dodged it and kicked him in the nuts. He didn't appreciate that and he grabbed a nearby chair and whacked me round the head. A sudden banging filled my ears as I was knocked to the floor in pain. I got up quickly despite the ringing in my ears._

_I dived for him and we tumbled to the floor. I punched his stomach and his face until he howled. He kicked me off and stood up, grabbing a barrel as he did so. He threw it at me. I rolled out of the way but it just hit my cheek and began to bleed. I began to get worried even though I had never lost a battle. I was considered a godlike warrior. He stood up and kicked him with my heel. He fell backwards into his friends who pushed him back up. Cheers filled the deck and many new people came to watch. _

_The fight persisted. We were both covered in bruises and cuts but I was better off. Suddenly, when I was about to deliver the finishing blow I felt something hit me and I fell to the ground. Someone stood over me with one of the metal cooking pots in his hand. I looked up at him from the floor and frowned. He wasn't who I was fighting!_

_He brought the pot down on me again so quickly that I had no time to move. It hit me forehead and I cried out in pain. I rolled to my side but was pulled back by the stranger's foot which he pinned me to the floor with. It must have been pitiful but he caught me off guard!_

_I began to breathe really heavily, realising he was treading on my lungs. I coughed under his weight. My opponent pulled him off me._

"_When do I win?" he asked._

_I coughed again._

"_When I'm out." I said. He smiled and nodded to his friend who brought his hand back down and ended my consciousness._


	19. Meeting The Myrmidons

_When I woke next I was lying in a bed that was unfamiliar to me. I blinked and frowned when I realised that I was alone. I didn't want to move I was in so much pain, and my head was banging. It had been an unfair fight. Two on one. I still could have beaten them if they'd had told me! Then I would be ready!_

_I lifted my hand to my forehead only to realise that I was covered in blood. I felt so faint and weak…a feeling I had never experienced before._

_I groaned and rolled over, stumbling out of bed. I walked over to the closed wooden door and tried to open it. It didn't budge. I was locked in._

_All that was lighting the room was one small candle that was almost running out. I began to panic; I really didn't want to be plunged into darkness._

_I squeaked when it eventually happened. I could see nothing. Not the glow of the moon, nor the rays of the falling sun. What time was it? Whose bed was I on?_

"_Hello!" I cried. I held on to the door and began to shake it. _

"_Anyone!" I screamed._

_I suddenly began to cry, much to my astonishment. I cursed the tears that feel down my cheek, washing away the blood._

_Stop it! I ordered myself. _

"_Please! Open the door! Let me out!" I felt like I was locked in a tiny cupboard. This time I really did try to stick my fist through the door but all I succeeded in door was blooding up my bruised knuckles. I winced and moaned. I sunk down to the floor._

_Suddenly the door flung open and knocked me over to the side of the room. I rubbed my back. I must've looked a right site! Covered in blood, bruises, cuts and tears. I would never, not in a million years, have suspected I would ever end up in this position. The person entering held a candle. He looked at me and laughed. I couldn't stand it! I had never been laughed at like that! That was how I laughed at people!_

"_What are you doing on the floor, My Prince." The man said. I immediately stood up despite all the pain in my body. This man would NOT see a weak Achilles. He walked to me, holding a candle, and put his hand under my elbow moving me to his bed. I sat down thinking he just wanted me to be comfortable. He walked away, lighting candles around the room that I hadn't seen before._

"_It must've been dark in here without these candles on. I hope you weren't frightened."_

"_No," I lied. The man nodded and returned to me. I was very pleased to notice that he had blood running down his cheek too._

_He picked up a sponge and started soaking my wounds. Who the hell does he think he is! I shouted inside my head. I am not some female slave who has just survived a beating, for him to clean at his will. I elbowed him right in the face and he stumbled backwards confused. I had moved very quickly, he had probably barely seen it._

"_Get off me," I whined. He laughed but came back to me again._

"_So…do you want to take your clothes off or shall I do it for you?"_

_I looked up at him, shocked and mocking. As if, I laughed to myself. There is no way this man would EVER beat me one on one._

_I laughed allowed._

"_Get lost," I told him. He shook his head, his brown hair falling in his eyes._

"_No, you said that whoever beats you gets to lie with you tonight."_

"_Ha! You must be joking. I'm not going to sleep with you." I put emphasise on the 'I'm' and 'you.' I was way too good for him._

"_Yes you are," he insisted, not even getting angry. Was he so confident that I was going to give in? Then I thought, wasn't this what I wanted? Didn't I want to be with someone tonight, so that I wasn't alone? Yes, of course I did, but I didn't want to be taken this way. I'd sooner die. Or rather, I'd sooner he died._

"_Look! I am not sleeping with you." I laughed hard after I said this. I hope it made him feel about one inch tall. It didn't unfortunately._

"_I won! You said that the winner…"_

"_I know what I said!" I interrupted, "but it was unfair! You friend joined in, and might I add that if I knew the two of you planned to fight me I could take you easily. I just wasn't ready for it."_

_This time he laughed. How dare he not believe me!_

"_I'm sorry Prince, but you said anything goes…those words came from your own lips."_

"_No I…" Oh damn it! Why did I have to say that? What I meant was you were allowed to hit anywhere! He laughed at my abrupt halt._

"_You know what I meant!" I wailed. I was getting louder and louder. I was seriously loosing my temper. How pleasing, maybe I would belt this guy. On the other hand, it was most unsatisfactory when he smiled. He knew that he was getting to me. _

"_But what you said was something quite different, My Prince." I growled._

"_Stop calling me Your Prince! Is that turning you on?" He laughed again._

"_Well, I'm afraid you said it yourself. Anything goes. And anything did go." He laughed at his witticism. It made me want to cut his head off. I had been wrong may times before, purely because I did things without thinking of the consequences. However, when I was wrong before I usually just beat that person up. It made me feel better._

_I started shaking with anger._

"_Well it wasn't even you who knocked me out. It was…that other guy."_

"_Indeed…so would you rather he slept with you?" I frowned. Damn it._

"_No! He wasn't my opponent. My opponent did not knock me out; therefore I do NOT sleep with him. Settled?"_

"_Actually, no it isn't settled. In that case, I deny that he knocked you out. I say it was me. Prove me wrong Prince! I have friends who would vouch for me." I took in a deep breath and pushed it out through my nose, making myself madder and madder. I jumped off the bed and punched him in the face, hard!_

_He flew back but didn't lose his balance. Instead he just threw what it was he held in his hand at me._

_I forgot that thing happened to be a burning candle. It caught my cheek and went out with a ffthz as it burned my flesh._

_I moaned as he stood up and pushed me back on to the bed. For a terrifying second I thought he was going to climb on top of me, but he didn't._

"_Who…the hell….are you!" I whispered. He smiled at me as he bent forward._

"_I am Phoenix, the myrmidon."_

_I had never been so pleased in all my life. I literally yelped in joy and laughed in his confused face._

"_What?" he said,_

"_Do you have no idea who I am?" I laughed, pushing him off me._

"_You are Achilles. Prince of Thessaly, son of Thetis the sea Goddess."_

"_And…?" I asked_

"_Um…I don't know." I laughed._

"_Who is my father you idiot!" He raised an eyebrow._

"_I couldn't tell you." _

"_Then why do you call me prince? If I am a prince then surely my father is a king. If you don't know my father then how do you know I am a prince?"_

"_I have heard the others speak of it." This was surreal._

"_How can you not know that my father is Peleus, Son of Aeacus?"_

_I saw him frown._

"_Yes I know damn well who you are Prince. I know that your father is Peleus but I don't care. What he doesn't find out wont hurt him."_

_I jabbed his shoulder._

"_You don't get it do you? I own you Phoenix! I own the Myrmidons!"_

_I remember Thetis telling me that my father has given me his army, the Thessalonians, as my own, to fight for me in Troy._

"_Your father owns me. You don't."_

"_Talk to Agamemnon if you don't believe me! He must know that the Myrmidons belong to me. He knows the leader of every army! You fight for ME Phoenix!" I threw my head back and laughed, I'd like to say manically._

_Mist my laughter I saw him draw back his fist ready to hit me again. I may have been laughing, but I was still the greatest warrior. I caught his lunch before it hit my eye, and I threw it back at him. I lifted up my knee and caught him once again between his legs. He cried out and instantly rolled off me._

_Suddenly the door flew open and half a dozen people flew in. I recognised a few from on deck. I looked at the position that I was in and instantly changed it. I looked like they had just saved me from rape!_

_I closed my legs and frowned at them. _

"_Are you the Myrmidons?" I questioned. Suddenly from behind me Phoenix cried out._

"_The bastard thinks he owns us!" I heard them laugh._

"_Peleus owns us, Young Prince."_

"_NO, actually I do. He's given you to me as my own army, to fight for me in Troy." Some laughed; some frowned and exchanged confused glances. I would never have guessed that during the end of the war, these disobedient men would have grown to almost love me, worship me and do anything I asked. I would have never believed it had someone told me then._

"_What are your names?" Quietly they answered._

_The first was a man with brown hair and dark blue eyes. _

"_Eudorus, grandson of Phylas" he told me. I nodded and moved on. The next was a young man, only a few years older than myself._

"_Automedon, son of Diores," he said._

"_Ctesios," said another._

"_Menesthius, son of Borus."_

"_Peisander, son of Maemalus."_

_I nodded and smiled at each of them. I walked to the last man in the room. He was about twenty. He was blonde like me and he also had my eyes._

"_Who are you I asked him?"_

"_I am your second cousin, Achilles. My name is Patroclus, son of Menoitios. I was your father's cousin. I am not a Myrmidon. I was sent by your father to teach you." I smiled, trying not to be rude. There was little this man could teach me. I turned to Phoenix._

"_Who are you again?" I asked, deliberately irritating._

"_Who don't remember me one bit do you, Achilles!" he spat. I was confused._

"_I am Phoenix, son of Amyntor. I was your tutor as I child. I taught you when you were young, five I believe. I would have been eighteen. You were a spoilt child, arrogant but remarkable. I remember you."_

_I didn't remember. _

_I turned around to portray my Myrmidons._

"_How many do I have?" I asked. Patroclus looked up._

"_There are fifty of us. We are rumoured to be the greatest warriors in the east. We now march under your orders."_

"_And what of Ajax? I have heard of him. Is he not my cousin? Is he a Myrmidon also?"_

"_No, My Lord, he is not. He sails as a king, a leader of his own army."_

"_I see."_

_I turned around to see the Phoenix. I laughed at him. He was on the wrong side of me now. I was thrilled. I spat at his feet, and turning on my heels I left them._

_There knew leader was a sixteen year old Prince from Thessaly. I wish I could have stayed to hear them talk about me, but I had made my exit._

_I had also made my deathbed._


	20. Shame to Honour

_Since then I haven't slept alone. I've always had someone beside me. On the ship people began to be nicer to me, but only because they learned that I was the Myrmidon leader. Those who I didn't own still weren't kind at all. I was surprised that I didn't have my own boat, when Agamemnon must've known the Myrmidons would soon find their true leader._

_There were about one hundred people on this boat. It was the biggest after all. It was shared by Agamemnon, Odysseus, Menelaus and the favourites from their individual armies. A dozen of my hundred Myrmidons were aboard also. I knew I was kept on this ship because it had the finest warriors on it. They would never let me get away. I was under the King's eye._

_I had only met the King once, and that was when I was taken from Skyros. Since then I have avoided him. I have done well, having been on this ship five days now. _

_When I next saw him he wasn't alone. I was in a room with Patroclus, we were talking together on the bed and he told me of my father, Peleus. He had seen more of him then I ever had._

_Then Patroclus leaned forward and kissed me, a lot gentler than Phoenix was. I let him kiss me but didn't kiss him back. I really wasn't in that kind off mood. Plus, I had got all the love I needed, as I had shared more than a few beds in these five days._

_Then the door flew open, like it so often does when I hope it doesn't. In walked Agamemnon and Odysseus, king of Ithaca. I turned my head away from Patroclus to glare at the intruders. I raised an eyebrow perfectly. I had had an awful lot of practise the past week._

"_Ah, we've been looking for you everywhere son of Peleus. Come with us now." The king of kings spoke loudly and confidently. I couldn't believe my ears._

"_Who do you think you are?" I shouted._

"_I am the King! And it will do you good to learn of it and obey my orders!" I rolled my eyes and groaned._

"_Get out of here! You are interrupting." The king laughed._

"_What exactly am I interrupting Prince? Another show of vulgar behaviour? I suggest you start to get friends another way Prince. If you haven't already then I am sure you'll catch some disease from these men! What would your father say to see you behaving like this? Selling yourself!"_

_I jumped up furious._

"_How dare you! I am not selling myself as you so callously put it!"_

"_So you're doing this for fun? Well that proves exactly what I think of you. How many soldiers have you exactly slept with during your small week here? All of them?"_

_I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My head pounding from anger, I dived at my enemy and punched him till I was pulled off by half a dozen of his protectors. Crying from fury I screamed aloud, only to be hit in the jaw by several strong hands._

"_You…beast! You fiend!" I cried through the fingers clamping my mouth shut. I was sagging in their arms, desperately trying to attack the man who had so viciously insulted me and my honour. They held my arms and back and neck, I couldn't move. One of them suddenly grabbed hold of the front of my shoulder length blonde hair, pulling it back displaying my face until I screamed._

"_Get off," I wailed but they held me tighter, laughing at me until stray tears rolled down my face. They seemed to find this even funnier. My face was red with fury and my cheeks were burning hot._

_The evil king before me laughed and turned on his heel, gesturing that his men should take me along. I tried so hard to break free, but I was dragged along the corridors screaming until people woke up and came outside to hear what had woken them. Embarrassed now that crowds had formed to watch my childish display of temper, I shut up and let them take me to the King._

_Once I had calmed down they gave me the opportunity to shake them off and walk by myself. I did so._

_However, they kept a firm grip on my shoulders and elbows, making sure that I couldn't escape. I was furious that there was nothing I could do. It wasn't so much that I didn't want to see the king; I just didn't want them to know that I couldn't do anything about it, even if I wanted to._

_We entered a big room on the ship, I presume that it was Agamemnon's as it was covered with fine material and jewellery. I was forced into a wooden chair and men stood around me, pushing down on my shoulders._

_I rolled my eyes and forced out a laugh. There are usually too ways I can get to people. I either laugh at them or I scowl and get really grumpy. This was an occasion where I just wanted to be grumpy, but I knew that it wouldn't get me anywhere._

"_Are you so frightened of me King Agamemnon, that you would have a dozen of your finest warriors here purely to protect you from my wrath?" I laughed again. The King frowned and the people holding me pinched and pushed even harder. Agamemnon started to wander round the room._

"_I am not frightened," he insisted. I rolled my eyes. "You are insolent Achilles. It is typical of you to behave like this. I bring you on this ship to fight for your people and you mooch around and sulk all day, threatening anyone who crosses your path!" The king was shouting at me now. "You are nothing but a solemn adolescent! I should gash your throat!"_

_Welling up with anger I frowned. I raised my head back, displaying my brown neck suggestively._

"_Go on then." I said as he advanced on me. "Slit my throat; prove to all the men around you what a great King you are! Be rid of the needless teenager who depresses you so much!" I didn't even laugh I was so furious. I could see his blood pulsing, his cheeks reddening with anger. He moved towards me and brought a silver dagger out from its baldric. He held it to my throat and if I hadn't interrupted I could have sworn he would have ended my life. Achilles would have been helpless for once._

"_Go on Your Majesty! Try to fight in Troy without me! You doubtless think you could succeed without the son of Peleus, so please, suit yourself!" I held my head back even further, my soft neck begging to be cut. After saying that though, I knew he wouldn't do it. I could see how much he longed to kill me, probably more than Priam himself. He had my life in his hands, yet I had never felt so powerful._

_I really did laugh aloud when he halted; thinking whether or not he should kill me. He was desperate to. He wanted to prove to me that he really was a powerful king, who didn't need a child to fight for him, but he wasn't fooling anyone. He knew as well as I did that he needed me to win the war._

_He placed the steel against my neck and I presumed it was a warning._

_But then I felt a wicked pain sore through my throat, like it was on fire. Then I realised in horror that he had slit my throat. I began to panic, terrified that I would drown in my own red blood. He must've seen the fear in my eyes because he laughed._

"_Don't worry, Prince; you aren't going to die today. The wound is shallow." _

_I was relieved, but suddenly even more furious that he had found a way to get the better of me in that situation. I thought that I would come out of that as the victor and he would look really stupid. Ha!_

_I felt the blood trickle down my neck and onto my chest, staining my white top with red impurities. _

_It was a horrible type of pain. It was cold and frightening._

_The men let go of me, letting me fall to the floor as they followed their laughing King out of the room. I curled up and pulled a hand up to my swollen neck, feeling the inflamed wound. It was shallow like he'd said but it cut my soul._

_I stood up and ran to the door, frightened that I would be locked in. I pulled it and luckily it opened. I walked outside cautiously and went back to the deck. Patroclus would soon leave when he realised I wasn't returning. Wandering around the deck I took a look around me. Over to the stern I saw one of the people who had held me helpless to the chair. He had dark features, brown hair and chocolate eyes. I had noticed him before when he was dragging me down the corridor. I hadn't noticed any of the others, but he caught my eye. He was very handsome, I guessed thirty two._

_Despite my obvious attraction to him he made my blood boil. He had been looking over the side of the boat in peaceful admiration when he caught me staring. I walked to him._

"_How is your throat?" he asked, sounding generally concerned. He lent forward to look but I jumped back._

"_It's fine," I said despite the agonising sting. He nodded._

"_Are you sure? I'm sorry I did that to you." I laughed._

"_Your not in the slightest bit sorry!" I frowned. "But it…it doesn't hurt anyway." I lied and shrugged off his sympathetic hand._

"_Why do you push me off?" He asked. The question stunned me._

"_I…Because you hurt me." I couldn't tell whether he was upset or not._

"_I didn't want to."_

"_You didn't even let me move!" He shrugged._

"_I'm sorry. I have to do what a King says." I couldn't believe him. I felt like crying so hard. Some tears rolled down my cheek._

"_No. Please don't cry. I'm sorry." He picked up a cloth and began to dab at the wound. I hit him in the face, so hard and fast that I barely saw it myself. He was leaning against the side of the boat and consequently almost went tumbling into the sea. Blood sprayed me from him lip as it burst at the force of my punch. When regained his balance he glared at me with such hatred that it shocked me. The way he looked at me..._

"_I really don't want to have to hurt you!" He whispered. He spat blood out of his mouth and it landed on the floor beside my feet._

"_Oh try me!" I shouted as I hit him again. Revenge is sweet, but like they say probably best served cold. I didn't care for sayings in my vulnerable state though._

_After recovering from my second punch he grabbed hold of my neck. Suddenly new pain soared through my body like fire. I clutched his arm as he held on to my neck, gasping through the pain of the wound opening. My eyes where wide as I thrashed and kicked him with my feet. He took each blow but didn't let go of my throat, forcing my legs to collapse._

_I wasn't kneeling but I wasn't standing. My arms were reaching up, scratching his as I tried to shake myself free._

_Being low down however, gave me a definite advantage. I let go of his arm and threw out another punch right between his legs. He groaned but didn't throw me to the ground like I thought he would. Instead he lifted me, spun me and banged my back into the side of the boat. I cried in pain as my spine felt like it was snapping. He leant me further and further over the side of the boat until my feet were higher than my head._

_Laughing spitefully at each other we stared into each others eyes. I was in pain, true, but I knew this battle was already won by me. My mind worked in a way that none other could understand. Instead of situations I saw opportunities. And I had one right now._

_Taking no more time to consider, not that I had considered much as I usually acted without thought, I lunged at him with my left ankle, catching the ribs surrounding his heart. As I landed like a cat on my feet I heard the loud crack._

_He screamed in empty agony as he fell to the floor, his broken ribs crushing his slowing heart. I had known it was a death blow but it was what Achilles did._

_I walked to his side, looking pityingly at his terrified eyes. _

"_Now I'm sorry." I said as I crouched beside him, stroking his chocolate hair. I rested his head no my lap smiling as I did._

_And then it hit me. I had killed this man. He was going to die because of me. It was funny how it made me feel stronger, like his life was adding to my own._

_I had people crowding now, watching me intently as I played with the man's hair until his life left him. When he was dead I pushed him off me and stood. Looking around me I saw the men, Myrmidons, Ithacans, Spartans- the best fighters from each, looking at me. They were staring, frightened, confused, in admiration. No one whispered while I tossed my hair and pushed my way out of the circle._

_On the way out someone grabbed my arm and pulled my back._

"_What have you done?" The person shouted at me. I glared at him. Suddenly, with shocking force he grabbed the back of my neck and pushed my head towards the dead man, like he was forcing me to see something._

"_Look at what you have done!" _

_Pushing away from him I frowned._

"_Would you like to join him, obnoxious man?" I shouted back. I tried to run off again but he held on tightly to my arm._

"_You shame us." He spat._

"_But I shall bring you honour. The lives I shall take on these ships will be paid for in Trojan blood, you shall see!"_

_With that I left them, pondering over my statement._


	21. The Prince and Princess

_We arrived in Teuthrania three weeks later We believed that we had landed in Troy, when infact we had completely missed the city of Priam and had drifted up to the north, near the sea of Propontis._

_The soldiers were furious, but I found it hilarious and I smirked at the people responsible. They somehow managed to blame it on the Teuthranian people themselves, and insisted that we teach them a lesson._

_Sixteen or so of us marched up to the palace without attack and we were let in without a fight. Along side me was Odysseus, Ajax and a few of my Myrmidons. This was one of the first time I had ever met my cousin Ajax. I decided I didn't like him one bit. He was an arrogant yet somehow respected man._

_I remember when we marched inside the first thing Ajax insisted was that he should be allowed to pick a concubine from the palace's children. That's when I saw Tecmessa. She was sitting in the corner playing with her dolls, totally oblivious to what was going on around her. That is until Ajax had chosen her._

_I took her hand as I led her back to the ship. She was a very pretty little girl, but she was so frightened and her family had easily given her up. She was only ten when Ajax took her. Ten years old._

_I sat her down in a cabin with me and my cousin and we barely spoke at all. But the little girl made so much eye contact with me. And I felt something stir with in me, almost like the feelings I had once had for Deidamia. Little Tecmessa seemed like a mystery. She was looking at me with such emotion. There was helplessness and there was pleading and most of all love. It was like the princess loved me._

_I almost felt that I loved her too, though I felt sick when I thought about her. She seemed to hold on to my thoughts and occupy my feelings. Didn't know what I felt about her, but I knew I cared for her._

_When we arrived in Troy that same day I tied her to Ajax's tent. She cried and begged me not to leave her and it tore me apart because I knew I had to._

_And then I kissed her. I didn't know why, but once I pulled away I did. I loved her. I actually loved her yet I hadn't yet heard one hundred words from her mouth. And then I told her that I would marry her. It all came out too quickly yet I meant every word! I told her I would marry her once the war was over, and that I would love her. We would both be adults by then. She would be twenty and I would be sixteen. It seemed perfect._

_Yet after that I barely spoke to her. I knew Ajax treated her terribly yet I never went to see her. My love for her kept me away because it frightened me._

_Then one day, when she was sixteen, I walked into my tent. Took of my armour and got into bed and she was there, under the covers waiting for me. I held her and kissed her, and without words we expressed our love for one another. Ajax found her in the morning and he tried to beat me for it. I laughed in his face. Then he turned his anger towards Tecmessa and I almost killed him for it._

_I visited her regularly after that. But then she became pregnant and she had the child. Ajax took him from her and no matter how much I threatened him he wouldn't return the child._

_There was nothing I could do._


	22. Taking Briseis

**Hello everyone. This is Achilles final POV. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks everyone who has reviewed. They all mean a lot to me. Thanks again!**

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_Not long ago Agamemnon spoke to me personally. He told me I had grown up since when I was first forced onto this ship. Infact, I think the words he used was invited. _

_Then he told me that we were taking Lyrnessus. I had never heard of the place until he said that we were sacking it. I wanted to be involved and so three days later we set out._

_I was informed about the small city. It was ruled by a Queen and no King. Briseis, daughter of Briseus, was made Queen when she was just sixteen. We travelled there and when we arrived we were welcomed with their own army._

_I could say it was pathetic, but I won't. We fought for a few minutes and in that time the majority of the army fell. I later learned that three of the men that had died at my arm were Queen Briseis's brothers._

_But then I saw Mynes. He was tall and unattractive, built like a man with no intention but to kill. I had heard a few rumours that Mynes, son of Euenus, would die at the hand of a Demi-God. And so it seemed true._

_He was stubborn but eventually died by my side and then we went on to the city itself._

_Briseis was on her throne and was as beautiful as ever when we found her. She held her posture and kept her chin high as she shook. She offered us wine and treated us like guests despite her fear. And it angered me to know that we had killed her family, and now we would be taking her. There was little I could do about that either._

_And she came with us without much fuss._

_Up till then I had not got a prize, and I felt that I didn't need one. But honour is something that every soldier values and I wanted something to show for my years in battle. I accepted the sweet girl and treated her well._

_And then I fell in love with her, like I did with Tecmessa, but this time I did an even worse job of showing it._


End file.
